


Marichat May 2020

by miraculous (milkisande)



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Marichat, Marichat May, Marichat May 2020, Unbeta'd Chaos
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-01
Updated: 2020-05-31
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:08:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 31
Words: 30,138
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23940565
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/milkisande/pseuds/miraculous
Summary: A series of short fics for Marichat May 2020!Specific summaries are included in the beginning notes of each chapter.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 153
Kudos: 328





	1. o1 - witch au

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Marinette makes enchanted armor. Chat Noir destroys it. Things go about as well as expected.
> 
>  **my tellonym:** milkisande

**.**

**witch au**

_somehow i've fallen,  
under your spell._

**.**

**.**

**.**

" **YOU broke your armor… again!?"**

The black iron-clad hero at least had the courtesy to look sheepish, scratching his head as the enchanted seamstress glared back; needle and scissors held in what seemed to be a threatening position. Surprisingly, Marinette had little to no qualms about berating the man: something that most wouldn't dare do, given that her customer was infamous throughout their whole kingdom— the Hero of Destruction, _Chat Noir_.

To her, though, he was the ever-so-annoying customer who showed up at her shop every week, asking (read: _begging_ ) her to make him a new suit of armor, because his had been destroyed in his party's most recent quest.

This had to be… the _twenty-five-thousand-nine-hundred-and-thirteenth_ time since he had showed up with a new request? (She wished she was joking; really, she did— but it seemed that the boy, true to his title, had a penchant for destruction; not just the villain, apparently, but public property and his own belongings as well).

"Come on, Marinette!" Chat whined, following her as she disappeared into the back room. " _Please,_ you're not just going to leave me out there defenseless, right?"

The hero pouted as the witch only rolled her eyes, offhandedly waving her hand as a pile of fabric and thread flew over to sit themselves neatly next to her sewing machine. "You can just ask someone else to make it for you! There are plenty of other seamstresses out there."

"Sure," he began, "but you make the best armor in the kingdom! Everyone knows that," Chat Noir stated matter-of-factly, a grin forming as he saw the girl look up from the corner of his eye. "Marinette's is su _purr_ ior."

As he talked, the hero walked over to her, taking a ball of yarn from the air, bouncing it between his hands.

Marinette only sighed in slight exasperation, snapping her fingers as the yarn flew right back into her hand. "You mean, it _was_ superior." She pointed out, walking over to him to point an accusatory jab at his chest. "I had a 100% success rate for unbreakable armor until you came along!"

Chat Noir laughed, raising his hand in joking surrender. "Hey! That's because most of your customers don't go into life-or-death situations daily!"

"Really?" Marinette asked, eyebrows raised. "I make Ladybug's outfit too, you know," she stated, staring up at him (— he was a good few inches taller than her; something that the seamstress always heavily disliked). "And she's to ask me for a new outfit yet. Maybe a few alterations here and there, but nothing major."

Marinette pressed her lips together, then pointed at the pile of charred armor _(though it was more… 10% armor and 90% burnt ash)_. "This mess, on the other hand; I can't salvage anything! I'd have to start from the beginning!"

"That's because Ladybug is a witch of creation!" Chat stated defensively, then pointed at himself. "I'm a warlock of _destruction_ ; it's part and parcel with my hero identity! Ladybug knows that, and she understands."

" _Sure she does._ " Marinette only responded, recalling in her mind just how many times 'Ladybug' had told him to be careful with his armor.

_Oh, if only he knew._

"Anyway, I'm fully booked for the week!" She continued, gesturing at the overflowing pile of fabric and metal plates threatening to topple and fall over at any minute. "There are plenty of other seamstresses and armorers who would love to create clothing for a hero as renown as you."

"But none of them are you."

_Now that's not fair._

Chat Noir took that opportunity to step closer (much more than they already were), as he looked down at her— eyes a vivid green that seemed to draw the smaller girl in.

"Are you sure you don't want to reconsider?" He whispered, moving closer as Marinette found herself backed up against the desk of her sewing machine, his hands on either side of her waist.

She looked up at him, face lit up in a sort of challenge. "I _guess_ I can bump you up… but it will cost quite a bit." Marinette smiled, mischief dancing in her eyes. "Know how to pay me, kitty?"

Chat Noir grinned. "I can think of a few ways."

He didn't need another moment, another snarky response, before capturing her lips in his with a searing kiss; hands snaking around her waist, as hers found their way to his chest.

Marinette loved the feeling. Reveled in it.

Kissing Chat Noir was a lot more magical than any spell or incantation she could conjure up with her powers.

So they stayed like that for a while, entwined, before the sudden sound of an _ahem!_ force them to part.

"If you're all done with… _that_ ; Chat, we need to go. There's rumors that Hawkmoth was seen in the castle." A familiar blonde heroine interrupted suddenly, seeming to have no regrets at disrupting their moment.

Once she left, Marinette only glanced upward, hands still on his chest, mouth still out of breath, and face flushed as if she had just gone through an extensive workout. Smiling innocently, the witch suddenly pushed him back, allowing for some space between them.

"Guess you need to leave then, huh?"

Chat Noir smirked, taking in her disheveled appearance. "Are you sure you're okay with that, though?"

"Please," Marinette remarked, "you should see how _you_ look."

The hero laughed, then walked back to her, bowing down to kiss her hand. "Well, whatever the case; thanks for a lovely time." He looked up. "I hope that's enough payment?"

Marinette grinned. "I'll have your armor ready by next week. Think you can hold until then, kitty?"

"For you, milady, of course. Can't have you _meow_ sing me for too long." He winked.

She rolled her eyes. "Sure."

Then, before the door closed, he was sure he could hear it:

" _Come back soon."_

**.**

**.**

**.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i had so many more ideas for this au, so maybe i'll write more for it after this month (?). i just really love magic aus. and adventures. so i'd love to come back to this one day! this is also my first time joining a tumblr month, so please be kind. ;n;
> 
> _thank you for reading! ( ´ ∀ `)ノ～ ♡_


	2. o2 - bell

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To be honest, Marinette Dupain-Cheng could pull off Chat Noir better than he ever did.
> 
>  **my tellonym:** milkisande

**.**

**bell**

_if i were a bell,  
i'd be ringing._

**.**

**.**

**.**

**CHAT Noir thought that black was his color.**

He was wrong, for one simple reason:

It was _hers._

Chat stared, comically slack-jawed, as Marinette looked at him expectantly; dressed up in something that he, in simple words, _did not_ expect.

"Come on, kitty," she finally said, putting a hand on her hip after a long pause of silence. "I was looking for some feedback?"

Chat Noir gulped, absentmindedly placing a hand on his heart in an attempt to calm it down. "I don't… really know what to say."

Marinette laughed. "Wow, did I really just leave _the_ Chat Noir speechless?" She smiled. "Hmm, I heard that even Ladybug had difficulty keeping you quiet. Guess there are some things I can do that even superheroes can't, huh?"

She laughed, and the hero found his heart beating a bit faster.

"Well…" Marinette finally trailed off, "if you're not going to comment, I guess it'd be better if I just changed back." She stated, beginning to walk away, before smiling as a hand suddenly grabbed hers.

"Wait," Chat Noir finally replied. "Don't change back just yet."

Marinette grinned, turning around so that she was face-to-face with the mysterious hero. "Then give me a comment, _chaton_."

Chat Noir felt himself shudder. The way she called him.

It should be illegal.

Hastily shaking himself out of his reverie, the hero smirked. "Well… I'm not sure I want you out like that— Paris might realize that they don't want me anymore, if they realize they could've had _you_ instead.

Marinette laughed, louder this time, as she spun around in her costume.

Hair tied up in a braid, with faux black cat ears upon her head and black boots adorning her legs, Marinette wore a black dress with bright green accents, seeming to catch the attention of everyone around her (read: _him_ ). She finalized the costume with the token black mask and green contacts, putting complete effort into the outfit.

He couldn't really be surprised, after all. If there was anything that people knew about Marinette Dupain-Cheng (aside from the fact that she was _always_ late and Missing In Action): it was that Marinette knew fashion and design more than anything.

And as he stared at her costume, the girl's personalized version of his own superhero persona, he became confident about three things:

  1. That black was _indeed_ Marinette's color (though red, he thought, would look quite nice on her too);
  2. That if Adrien Agreste didn't exist, Marinette would _definitely_ be Chat Noir (or Ladybug, though he couldn't really imagine anyone else doing her job); and,
  3. That whatever persona he was— as Adrien Agreste or Chat Noir or whoever else— the boy was _completely_ and _head-over-heels_ in love with Marinette Dupain-Cheng.



Chat Noir looked at her, fond, as she excitedly talked about how she made the costume: through the process of buying fabric, sewing, measuring, regularly injuring herself with the needle _(would it be possible to wage war with a sewing machine?)_ , and spending night after night working on it. He could hear the pride and love in her voice, and he was sure that he could listen to it all day— her laughter and the dreamy sighs forever carving themselves into his memory.

Suddenly she paused and turned back, eyes darting to stare him in the face.

 _No,_ not quite. A little lower…

_His neck?_

Marinette stopped in her tracks, as her mouth formed a little 'o' in shock. "Oh, crap!" She finally spoke, before closing her mouth.

Chat Noir raised an eyebrow. "Huh? What's wrong, Marinette?"

Dramatically putting her hands on both sides of her face, dragging them down in what looked like an (admittedly poor) imitation of _The Scream_ , Marinette groaned. "I forgot that!" She cried, pointing at him.

Curious, Chat Noir looked down, only to realize what she was pointing at:

_His bell._

"Oh," Chat finally replied, as it clicked. "Isn't your costume good, already? You've been working on it for months, and you already need it tomorrow."

Marinette stared at him, grimacing, as if his very suggestion was an insult to her entire being. "No way!" She argued. "The bell is a staple of Chat Noir's— _your_ — costume! I can't represent you properly if I don't have it!"

She sighed. "I guess I can sew the collar today, then just buy a bell on the way tomorrow…" Marinette muttered to herself, as if thinking, already getting lost in her thoughts— only being distracted when a warm (albeit gloved) hand grabbed hers.

"Marinette," Chat Noir started, gently nudging her to face him. "Your costume is perfect. You don't need to do anything else. It's perfect the way it is."

She looked up at him. "Who are you to say that?"

Chat laughed. "Is that really a question, Mari?" He let her go to gesture at himself. "I'm _Chat Noir_."

Marinette giggled, urging him to continue. "And I don't care what anyone says," he continued, lightly tapping on his bell to watch it ring. "If they say your costume's bad because it doesn't have my bell, then just tell them that _I_ said that it's perfect."

Marinette laughed, loudly, this time, as she suddenly hugged him— before _immediately_ letting go in embarrassment.

"Sorry, I was just—"

She was interrupted as Chat Noir pulled her back, wrapping her in a tight hug. "What do you need to feel sorry for?" He asked, tilting her head up as she stared back at him, eyes twinkling with a mix of confusion and something he couldn't quite decipher (though whatever it was, he _loved_ it).

They stayed like that for a moment, only a few seconds, before Marinette smiled at him: hints of mischief in her eyes. "So, is a hug _really_ all you want from me?"

Chat Noir felt a smile form on his own face. "Maybe not."

"Then what are you going to do about it?" She asked.

He smiled, fully now.

" _This."_

And that was all he said before he dipped her down and kissed her.

**.**

**.**

**.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> gonna be honest, i forgot the prompt for a bit: writing a lovestruck chat can do that sometimes (aka he is: too cute). ;n; hope you still liked it, though!
> 
> _thank you for reading! ( ´ ∀ `)ノ～ ♡_


	3. o3 - mouse

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chat Noir is Anonymous Nyan Cat, and Marinette regrets (a lot).
> 
>  **my tellonym:** milkisande

**.**

**mouse**

_what i gotta do,  
to be with you?_

**.**

**.**

**.**

**ANONYMOUS NYAN CAT:  
**im here marinette ฅ(•ω•^ฅ)

 **MARINETTE DUPAIN-CHENG:  
**how did you get that user…  
you know what?  
not even going to question it

 **ANONYMOUS NYAN CAT:  
**guess i _cat_ you by surprise? :^)

 **MARINETTE DUPAIN-CHENG:**  
im starting to regret asking you for help,,

 **ANONYMOUS NYAN CAT:  
**no WAIT i'll prove it that i'll be helpful!  
_fur_ give me?

Marinette looked up from her laptop, almost wanting to smack herself in the head. _What had possessed her to think that asking Chat Noir, of_ _ **all people**_ _, for help, was a good idea?_

She sighed, running a tired hand down her face. It wasn't on purpose.

.

.

Chat Noir had dropped by her room yesterday ( _during patrol_ : she had to berate him for doing that later— as Ladybug, of course), only to find the girl stressfully going through a ton of workbooks and worksheets.

"Marinette?" He called, only to be loudly shushed by the girl before him.

" _NOT THE TIME, CHAT."_ She replied curtly, only sparing him a glance before quickly going back to the task at hand.

Curious (and apparently not having heard of the idiom: _curiosity kills the cat_ ), Chat Noir simply walked over to her, looking at the mess of papers and books on her desk, noticing one in particular: a French-to-Chinese dictionary. "What are you doing?"

Pinching her nose in irritation, Marinette looked up at him. "I took up a Mandarin class," she finally responded. "We just had our first class today, and our professor already gave us an assignment: to create an essay introducing ourselves!" She cried, hands flying upward in stress. "I don't know any Chinese! And it's due by the _end of the week_!"

Chat Noir looked sympathetic, knowing all too well who the professor was. He had the same one before, and though their teaching was extremely effective (he picked up the language rather quickly), it was just as difficult and taxing to survive the first few weeks.

He also knew that the paper wasn't graded: though he clearly couldn't tell her that (not without revealing his identity, at least).

So, he decided on the next best thing.

"Let me help you, then." Chat Noir replied, ignoring Marinette's dubious look— and before she could protest, he easily grabbed a pen, then started writing on one of the blank papers.

Marinette looked at him blankly as soon as he finished, seemingly victorious.

"See?" He asked.

"See what?"

"… what I wrote."

"Is that… hello?"

"It's your name."

"…"

"…"

"Please help me out."

"Of course."

.

.

After that, they decided that it would be better to work online, since Chat Noir had his superhero duties (duties which, unfortunately, didn't include teaching civilians Mandarin), and it was clear to the two that him helping with his civilian identity wasn't a possibility either.

Instead, Marinette created a Google Docs file, and gave him the link so he could help out from home.

They had been working on the paper for almost three hours now, and though she hated to admit it, Chat Noir was extremely helpful. He was very patient with her, answering all the questions she had, only giving the occasional comment on grammatical or spelling errors.

It would have been perfect, if not for the surge of puns that flooded their chat history.

However, they had gotten into a working groove, and she _did_ manage to finish her paper, which she was extremely grateful for.

 **MARINETTE DUPAIN-CHENG:  
**thanks for helping me out, chat.

 **ANONYMOUS NYAN CAT:  
**anytime ;3  
wait i have a picture to send you

 **MARINETTE DUPAIN-CHENG:  
**am i going to regret looking at it

 **ANONYMOUS NYAN CAT  
**_purr_ obably.  
but you love me anyway. ;)

Her laptop flashed as a new image was sent— a screenshot, as far as Marinette could see:

It was a picture of the Google Docs file the two were working on, but he had crudely encircled the middle portion, where his computer mouse was hovering her own stationary one.

 **ANONYMOUS NYAN CAT  
**what if…  
we held hands…  
in ur google docs assignment… :o

Against her own will, Marinette felt a laugh escape her throat. That was… terrible? Corny? _Cute?_

_Did she just think Chat Noir was cute?_

She _was_ grateful to him for helping out (both as Marinette and as Ladybug). Marinette knew all too well how busy he always was; and she liked that he could keep a cool and positive demeanor throughout it all.

Ladybug couldn't imagine saving Paris without Chat Noir.

And Marinette couldn't imagine her days without Chat Noir's regular balcony visits.

In fact, the hero had become her best friend, both in her superhero persona and outside of it.

But recently, she had found herself… wanting more, as it was.

Marinette breathed in deeply, then smiled, finally set on her reply:

 **MARINETTE DUPAIN-CHENG:  
**only holding hands through the internet?  
kinda jealous of my computer mouse right now :\\\

 **ANONYMOUS NYAN CAT  
**whsdkfsjs?!  
WHAT

 **MARINETTE DUPAIN-CHENG  
**i just think we both need a breath of fresh air after all that work :D  
up for a midnight walk, kitty?  
i can hold your hand if you get scared. :

 **ANONYMOUS NYAN CAT  
**FMDFSD,MLDS;AF']]  
HELL YES I AM ON MY WAY RIGHT NOW  
SEE YOU SOON ! <33333333

 **MARINETTE DUPAIN-CHENG**  
why are u such a dork  
… not like i hate it though

see you, chat<3

**.**

**.**

**.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this was inspired by something i saw on twt? hsdfks i feel like i messed up this prompt so badly but i was SO set on writing it i just,, love terrible-jokes and dorky chat noir A Lot (but who doesn't, really?)
> 
> _thank you for reading! ( ´ ∀ `)ノ～ ♡_


	4. o4 - thief

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chat Noir makes the mistake of wearing Marinette's scarf one cold night.
> 
>  **my tellonym:** milkisande

**.**

**thief**

_if you're cold and you're lonely,  
i'll cover you._

**.**

**.**

**.**

**IN Chat Noir's defense, it was cold.**

Surprisingly, his hero suit didn't do much to protect him against the wintery weather, and Chat found himself freezing as the snow piled onto the streets and buildings.

According to the news, it was one of the coldest days that year, and to his luck, the teen was tasked with patrolling that night. Sure, Ladybug had asked if he wanted to skip that day, but he had stubbornly said no: confident that if he did, she'd patrol in his place— and the last thing he wanted was her freezing instead.

With that in mind, Chat decided to take one of his scarves with him: a light blue one that his dad had gifted on his birthday. There was just something special about it; maybe it sounded stupid, but he could feel the warmth and love emanating from the article of clothing.

Wearing it gave him an overwhelming sense of joy.

But as he stood, frozen _(no pun intended)_ , as Marinette pointed at him with an accusatory look; stare so sharp that he felt he was about to get stabbed on the spot, he started rethinking whether or not the scarf was still worth wearing.

Chat Noir chuckled, awkwardly, as he spoke. "Now, now, _calm down,_ Marinette. What are you talking about?"

Marinette's withering glare made the hero slowly think to himself that he should _never_ make her angry (not as Chat Noir, and especially not as Adrien Agreste).

"You stole that!" Marinette stated, pointing at the scarf wrapped warmly around his neck.

"No I didn't!" Chat Noir argued. "This is mine!"

Marinette shook her head. "Is not!"

"Is so!"

"Is _not_!"

"Is _**so**_!"

Their back-and-forth lasted a few rounds, before Marinette finally shook her head, tiredly pinching the bridge of her nose. "Okay, fine! Then where did you get it?" She finally asked.

"From the… park!" Chat Noir retorted, cringing at his excuse. He hated lying. He wasn't good at it. "Remember the flea market they had last week?"

_There. That sounded more believable._

However, Marinette didn't seem at all convinced. "Really?" She asked, doubt and suspicion in her eyes. "Then give it to me."

Against his will, Chat Noir gave it up. He didn't like the idea of anyone else holding his scarf; even if it _was_ Marinette, but he wanted to avoid making a bigger scene than what this was quickly becoming.

Marinette looked at it closely, then suddenly: _"aha!"_

_Aha?_

Chat Noir looked up at where Marinette pointed: a small, white, heart at the very end of the scarf. It was barely visible to the eye, in fact, Chat Noir had only found out about it recently, so it came as a warranted surprise that she knew exactly where it was.

The hero stuttered. "What about that?"

Marinette _hmph_ ed in apparent victory. "I made this scarf." She stated. "The heart was because I gave it to someone I really liked."

_She… made this scarf?_

Chat Noir paused, then shook his head, disbelieving. "No," he finally said. "My d— _Gabriel Agreste_ , made this scarf. This was his design."

Marinette shook her head. "No, he didn't." She replied. "That's what everyone thinks, because Adrien…"

A sudden pause.

Marinette's head tilted in a new wave of suspicion. "How did you know about that?" Chat Noir's eyes widened, as he suddenly grabbed for the scarf— only for the girl to pull it away. "Chat…" she muttered, looking down as if calculating, before suddenly looking up.

" _Or…_ Adrien?"

The sudden silence that encompassed them seemed to last for hours (though it was, more accurately, only a few seconds). The pieces seemed to fit together.

Only for Chat Noir to burst into a fit of sudden (albeit extremely awkward) laughter.

" _Adrien!?"_ He laughed. _"Isn't that the boy model everyone's obsessed with!?"_

His laugh turned up a notch, almost turning into hysterics. "No, no, no, I'm definitely not _that_ guy." He said, shaking his head intensely. "He's too stiff, right? That perfect nice boy type." Chat Noir wrinkled his nose. "Doesn't look like he makes that many puns either. Pretty boring, if you ask me. I'm way cooler."

Marinette only stared at him with confusion, before sighing, and laughing lightly to herself. "Yeah… there's no way you could be Adrien Agreste." She said to herself. "A lot of people thought that his dad gave him that scarf… _besides_ , if you really were him, then that means…"

She turned red, then immediately shook her head, as if the very idea was a joke. "Yep, definitely _impossible_."

Chat Noir couldn't help but wonder what she was thinking about.

He attempted to grab the scarf again, only for Marinette to stare back at him. "That still doesn't explain why you have his scarf." She pointed out. "And if you're not Adrien, that means…'

_Please tell him she wasn't going to accuse him of stealing it again._

"... Adrien lent it to you!"

" _I didn't steal it!_ "

The two stared at each other, then laughed.

"Yeah, you're absolutely right!" Chat Noir responded, quickly. "I happened to pass by his place while patrolling. Adrien's a good guy, isn't he?"

Marinette nodded enthusiastically. "The _best!_ " She sighed, dreamily.

Then fear. "You won't tell him I have a crush on him, right?"

Chat Noir laughed at her innocence. He smiled reassuringly, before grabbing the scarf back from her hand and wrapping it around his neck once more. "Well… I promise not to tell him anything he doesn't already know." He winked, then jumped up to leave.

Marinette only stared as he left, before the words clicked in her head.

" _ **WHAT DOES THAT MEAN!?"**_

**.**

**.**

**.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i like to think that chat noir will bring up this moment regularly when they finally reveal their identities to each other. "so remember when u told me u had a crush on me and didnt know it?" good content.
> 
> _thank you for reading! ( ´ ∀ `)ノ～ ♡_


	5. o5 - dare

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everyone knows a good sleepover has a game of truth or dare (And a kiss, if you're lucky).
> 
>  **my tellonym:** milkisande

**.**

**dare**

_such a stubborn man,  
you'll likely never meet another._

**.**

**.**

**.**

**IF someone had asked Marinette what she was doing that weekend, she would have said:**

" _Have a sleepover with my best friend and maybe play a few games before going to bed."_

In her defense, she was correct— if not for one unexpected variable:

The _I-just-dropped-by-to-make-sure-you-were-safe_ and _oh-are-you-playing-games-can-I-join_ Black Cat Hero of Paris, Chat Noir.

Though she much rather preferred calling him a personal pain in her behind.

In response to his question, Alya Cesaire, true to her love of all things superheroic (Ladybug and Chat Noir, especially), was ecstatic; Marinette Dupain-Cheng, on the other hand, very much… not.

As Chat Noir looked curiously around her room, Alya eagerly pulled away her best friend, who had, just a few seconds ago, told the cat (not-so-kindly) to _leave_.

"Marinette, what are you doing?"

"I'm telling him to go home!"

"Yes. I know." Alya nodded, before pushing her face closer. "But _why!?"_

"Why?" Marinette asked, disbelieving. "Because Chat shouldn't be here! He should be patrolling: and _besides_ , a superhero shouldn't use his powers to just go around in people's houses!" Marinette huffed, already preparing a whole lecture to give Chat Noir when she was Ladybug. "This is _dangerous!_ "

"Come on, Mari," Alya whined. "This is a _once in a lifetime_ opportunity! Besides, he's probably tired from all the saving he's been doing this week." She stated, and Marinette couldn't help but agree.

The week was taxing on all of them; Hawkmoth was releasing akumas left and right, and Marinette found herself in the costume of Ladybug more than she was out of it (resulting in the _much-needed_ sleepover with her best friend).

She guessed that Chat Noir was definitely on the same boat.

He probably wanted to rest too, and she felt bad for asking him to patrol that night.

Marinette sighed, exasperated. _"Fine,_ he can stay."

As if hearing her approval, Chat Noir quickly jumped over to them, smiling. "Did I hear a yes?"

Marinette glared at him, pointedly. "Only for the next hour." She stated, strict. "I'll set an alarm. Then you go straight home. And if there's even _rumors_ of an akuma flying around Paris, you leave immediately." Marinette turned to face her best friend. "And _you_. Even if it's for your Ladyblog, you _cannot_ post anything about him being here. Or anything you hear from him tonight."

Alya wanted to protest, but shut her mouth immediately at her friend's look. _"For you."_

With their agreement, Marinette sighed, then tilted her head towards the computer.

"Do you play?" She asked, facing Chat Noir, who enthusiastically grinned, nodding.

"Then show me your skills, kitty."

.

.

They played for half an hour, until Chat Noir exhaustedly leaned back on the chair, putting the controller away. "You're pretty good at this, huh?"

Marinette's eyes gleamed, victorious. "Definitely." She smiled, offering a nod in his direction. "Though you're actually great at this too."

"I have a good partner," he winked, causing the girl to roll her eyes.

Before she could retort, Alya's voice cut through the air. "Alright, lovebirds: as much as I _love_ this dynamic," she stated, pointing at the two, "I'm getting bored. Let's play something else?"

Chat Noir nodded, hopping up to his feet. "Let's do it."

Marinette laughed. "You're just sick of losing." She stuck her tongue out at the hero, then turned to face Alya. "So, what do you have in mind?"

Alya's eyes twinkled with what could only be described as _mischief_. "Truth or d—"

" _No._ "

Marinette cut her off before she could continue, causing the former to throw her hands up in disappointment. " _Why not!?"_

She sighed, then pointed at Chat Noir, who only shrugged. "He's a secret hero. He can't say anything that compromises his identity."

Chat Noir, though disappointed, nodded. "Yeah, Marinette's right. Ladybug would kill me if she found out I played." Then he shrugged. "Well, she'd kill me if she found out I did this at all."

Marinette only stared. _Damn right she would._

Alya sighed. "Then what if we just make it dares?" She asked, new vigor entering her tone. "Nothing wrong with that, right?"

Marinette sighed, wanting to argue, but couldn't find it in her heart to disappoint Alya again (and Chat Noir, for that matter). _Well, if she was monitoring, it wasn't like anything could go wrong_.

Besides, she wanted to play around with Chat Noir a little bit more.

" _Fine."_

.

.

Marinette immediately regretted her decision, as Alya looked over at her with clear entertainment, and Chat with even more clearer _excitement_.

"What are you waiting for, Mari?" Alya asked, laughter threatening to bubble out of her voice.

Chat wiggled his eyebrows. "You were the one who agreed to this game."

Marinette groaned, looking up at her ceiling, before dropping her head back down, upset. "Do I _have_ to?" She asked.

"You said any dare!"

" _I didn't expect you to dare me to kiss you!"_ Marinette retorted, tiredly holding her forehead as Alya finally burst into a fit of giggles.

Chat grinned. "Not like you haven't dreamt about it before," he replied, winking.

Marinette threw a pillow at him.

"I choose truth."

"You can't choose truth!" Alya argued. "We're playing dare! That's what _you_ decided!"

"… I changed my mind?"

" _No way._ You didn't let me choose truth, and now I'll be having the most _awkward_ conversation with Nino tomorrow. Do your dare!"

Marinette sighed, defeated. _"Fine!"_ She finally groaned, slowly crawling over to Chat Noir; pointedly ignoring the _woots!_ of her best friend and the victorious look of her partner.

Inches apart, Marinette tilted her head up to kiss him.

She placed her hand on his cheek.

The other to rest on the back of his neck.

She leaned closer,

eyes closed,

before…

The sound of an alarm going off pierced the air, with Marinette victoriously leaning back, hand moving to pinch his cheek.

"Sorry kitty, _maybe next time_." She laughed. "Time to go home!"

Chat Noir looked surprised, then pouted. "You did that on purpose! You stalled!"

Marinette only smiled, before pushing him up to the entrance to her balcony. "You can't prove anything," she replied, smugness laced in her tone. "But don't worry, kitty. Come back again and I promise we'll continue where we left off."

The smile on Chat's face was short-lived as she continued. _"If Ladybug lets you go here again."_

"Ladybug? Marinette… did you tell her? Marinette? _"_

She grinned, before suddenly slamming the door closed.

" _ **MARINETTE!?"**_

**.**

**.**

**.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> get u a supportive bff like alya. also wasnt able to add it in the fic, but chat noir and marinette have been flirting back and forth before this happened: the kiss wasnt fully ~out of the blue~.
> 
> so yes, marinette wanted to kiss him. (she just likes teasing him more. lmaoksds)
> 
> _thank you for reading! ( ´ ∀ `)ノ～ ♡_


	6. o6 - hold my baton

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A stuttering and blushy Chat Noir was something Marinette never expected (but hell if she didn’t absolutely love it).
> 
>  **my tellonym:** milkisande

**.**

**hold my baton**

_you looked really,  
pretty— err, uh…_

**.**

**.**

**.**

" **DO I want to…** _ **what**_ **?"**

Marinette looked at her boyfriend in disbelief while the latter scratched his head in embarrassment: as if he was about ready to have a hole suddenly open up from below and swallow him whole.

The two had been dating for a week now, a clumsy confession from the hero after one of his patented Balcony Visits every time he had patrol (he always made a point to stop by, always armed with some creative-but-clearly-fake excuse— though recently, it had just developed into, "I'm here because I missed you".)

Marinette was overjoyed, of course; somewhere along their friendship, she began to fall for him: it was just _so easy_ with they were together, falling into a comfortable pattern that she could never quite find when she was with Adrien.

Unsurprisingly, she said yes.

Though she was surprised to find the impact of her answer on their relationship.

Chat Noir had become… in kind words, _strange_.

He was stuttering and stammering around her, hand movements greatly exaggerated, dialogue barely passing as sentences and more as a chaotic array of words haphazardly thrown together to make the _tiniest_ sliver of sense— and what more, he couldn't look her in the eye at all (at least, not without turning into the color that almost matched Ladybug's suit).

Chat Noir was acting like how she did when she had a crush on Adrien.

In all honesty, it was pretty cute.

He looked like a sad puppy.

It made her want to tease him.

The hero looked down, pointedly looking at her hands (though she chose not to bring it up). It was late at night, and Marinette had asked if he wanted to take a walk around their district. The streets were almost empty due to a festival happening nearby, so they decided it'd be safe to walk around together.

After all, they still had to be careful. Marinette didn't really want the publicity of dating a superhero, and even if she did, her sense of responsibility as Ladybug said she _couldn't_. If this became public, she knew, the news would undoubtedly bring a new wave of akumas to Paris:

  1. One, because Chat Noir had his fair share of fans, more than a few of whom would be heartbroken if they knew he was taken, and;
  2. Two, that 'LadyNoir' was apparently a thing, and people wanted a pair of superlovers more than they wanted a professional superduo _(If they only knew the truth, though)._



They had been walking around for almost half an hour now, and Marinette was confident that the cat wanted to hold her hand. She wanted to hold his, too, but found his awkward fidgeting and not-so-subtle glances too cute to stop.

Marinette decided that she'd wait for him to ask.

And he did.

Or, more accurately, he asked (to his horror and her complete amusement): _**"Do you want to hold my baton?"**_

Chat Noir looked helpless, as she giggled to herself. Maybe she was being too mean.

"Sure, can I borrow it?"

_Or maybe not._

The hero looked at her, defeated, before resignedly handing over his baton to the girl.

_You're going to give up that easily?_

Marinette laughed, holding up the baton up to get a clearer look at it, teasing. "This baton is so small," she began. "How do you manage to save Paris with _this?_ "

Chat Noir pouted, then grumbled. _"It's not that small and you know it."_

The girl grinned. "Oh, _right,_ " she replied. Then Marinette began fiddling with the object, legitimately curious. She had used Chat's miraculous before, but the baton was a lot harder to manage as compared to her yo-yo (though she'd never admit it).

Curious, Marinette played around with the baton's controls and…

" _WAIT, DON'T PRESS THAT IT'S—!"_

And suddenly, she was more than a hundred feet up in the air.

_Oh, she was going to die today._

Muttering a quick goodbye to her family, Marinette breathed in. Maybe this was divine intervention for teasing Chat Noir too much.

Maybe she should have just held his hand.

" _Chat Noir I'm so sorry want to hold your haaaAAAAAAH—"_

She screamed, feeling herself fall, before a familiar figure jumped out to catch her, holding her tightly as her hands laced themselves around his neck.

They ended up on the ground safely, and Marinette exhaled a deep breath she didn't know she was holding.

_How the hell did she manage all those stunts as Ladybug?_

Marinette hunched over, feeling the need to vomit, as Chat looked at her with concern. "Mari, are you okay?"

She gulped, still breathing heavily. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." Marinette stated. "It was divine intervention."

"Divine intervention?"

"For not holding your hand."

Chat Noir turned red. "Huh…?"

Marinette sighed, finally standing back up to face him directly. She grabbed both of his hands, then looked at him with an extremely somber look.

"I'll stop teasing you." She deadpanned. "I'll hold your hand whenever you want."

Chat Noir looked even more confused. "Mari?! What?!" He looked up at her, then at their entwined hands, then back at her again. _"What?!"_

Marinette remained stone-faced for a moment, before leaning towards him and collapsing onto his chest. Chat Noir still had _no idea_ what was going on.

"Marinette?"

She spoke into his chest. "Yes?"

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, just let me stay like this for a bit?"

"Sure." He patted her head, then carefully: "I love you."

Marinette laughed.

"I love you too."

**.**

**.**

**.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i prefer flirty chat noir but blushy chat could be good too ! (maybe?) ngl this prompt was v hard for me to write so pls forgive the kinda crack ending hahahskds,, still:
> 
> _thank you for reading! ( ´ ∀ `)ノ～ ♡_


	7. o7 - disguise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Marinette reminds Chat Noir of Ladybug.
> 
>  **my tellonym:** milkisande

**.**

**disguise**

_she was sweet, too:  
reminds me of you._

**.**

**.**

**.**

**IN hindsight, Marinette could see where she went wrong.**

She shook her head, muttering to herself as she slipped into the all-too-familiar spandex suit. It was a good copy, Marinette mused: especially since the original one was a magical costume that couldn't _really_ be replicated accurately with any type of fabric that the real world had.

_How did she land herself in this situation again?_

After the close call with Clara Nightingale's music video, Marinette had become so much more careful with getting into situations where she could expose her superhero identity. As unfortunate as it was, she even stopped wearing red, because she simply couldn't risk it.

And for some time, it was all working out.

That is, until Chat Noir knocked on her balcony door; armed with a proposition that could affect not only her life, but his: as well as the entirety of Paris.

.

.

Earlier that week, Marinette, as Ladybug, had contacted Chat Noir to ask for his help.

It seemed that more than a few people were becoming suspicious of her true identity, and the hero wanted to shut down those rumors once and for all. (Though she didn't tell Chat that, of course.)

The original plan was for him to find someone he trusted to dress up as Ladybug, and go around with him for patrol. His only goal was to be seen with her lookalike.

Then, while that was going on, Marinette would also be out in public: proving their Marinette-Ladybug theory wrong.

After explaining to Chat Noir that it was to distract the people while she went on a 'secret mission' (she felt bad for lying, but rationalized that it was a necessary evil), her partner had ecstatically agreed, stating that he knew the perfect girl for the job.

Little did Ladybug know that she was talking about Marinette.

_Oh, cruel irony._

.

.

It was the sudden and low _"woah"_ that escaped Chat Noir's mouth as soon as she stepped into view that snapped Marinette out of her thoughts.

"You know," her unknowing partner commented. "You actually look a lot like her."

The girl paused, nervously twiddling her thumbs as she faced him. _"_ Haha, _you're kidding_." She managed an awkward laugh. "There's no way I could even compare."

Chat Noir shook his head. "No way, even Clara Nightingale saw it." He pointed out. "Honestly, I was surprised with how similar you two looked during auditions." As if catching himself make a mistake, the hero continued. " _I mean,_ I saw you on television."

Marinette raised an eyebrow. "You watched that, huh?" She laughed. "Well, even if I look _somewhat_ like Ladybug, I could never be a real hero." She stated, then sighed.

It wasn't quite a lie, after all.

There were still times that Marinette felt like an impostor in her superhero suit: like she wasn't the true hero that Paris needed; or that she was the worst Ladybug from all the heroes who held that miraculous before her. She loved being a hero, of course, but sometimes it was hard to carry all that weight _—_ all the pressure and expectations that people had of her.

To her surprise, Chat Noir's expression made a turn for the gentle. He shook his head. " _No_ , you have the heart of a hero. That's what Clara saw; not that you looked like her." He paused, then wrinkled his nose. "Or she would've chosen Chloe— because she was wearing a wig and everything!"

Marinette giggled. Chat Noir took that as the incentive he needed to continue. "I chose you for this mission because I know how much of a hero you can be. Even Ladybug saw your potential, that's why she gave you the Mouse Miraculous."

Well, that wasn't the true story; but it wasn't like she could _tell_ him the truth.

Besides, whatever the case: he was being sweet.

So instead, Marinette smiled and nodded. "Thanks, Chat."

"No problem, Mari." Chat Noir replied jokingly, then bowed.

"Well, if you're all ready to go…" he started, before pausing after looking at her. "Wait. Your mask…?"

Oh _, right._

Marinette scratched her head, immediately launching into a ramble. "Well… you see… the case is… the mask… it's missing! … accidentally destroyed it … allergic reaction … my dog ate my mask? … I think …"

She must have listed all possible excuses in the book, with Chat Noir simply looking back at her in confusion. Once she finished, she took in a deep breath. _"So, that's why I can't wear it."_

Chat Noir only stared in silence.

_Was she caught? Did he find out the truth?_

"Ladybug…"

_Well, she was screwed._

"… didn't say anything about having to wear the mask, so it's probably fine!" Chat Noir beamed, blissfully unaware of the truth. "As long as you help me out!"

Marinette let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. She was safe! (But then again: how naive could Chat Noir be? The person he claimed he loved was right in front of him _— and he couldn't recognize her because of one costume change?_ How thickheaded would someone have to be for that to be possible?)

"Okay, then." He continued, offering his arm to her. "Shall we go, milady?"

_Now that was familiar._

Marinette smiled.

"After you, kitty."

**.**

**.**

**.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ah yes to a marinette who judges chat noir for not figuring out her identity, but doesn't even realize who he is ,, i love my dumb kids !
> 
> i also wanted to write more on her with impostor syndrome (my personal hc), but i'll probably do it in another fic to give the idea more justice. as always, though:
> 
> _thank you for reading! ( ´ ∀ `)ノ～ ♡_


	8. o8 - don't tell me what to do

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Marinette gets akumatized, and even Chat Noir can't save her.
> 
>  **my tellonym:** milkisande

**.**

**don't tell me what to do**

_one more kiss, and then,  
— say goodbye._

**.**

**.**

**.**

**BEING akumatized, Marinette realized, was a lot like falling.**

It was like being swallowed by a black hole, left alone only with your own thoughts and negative emotions to accompany you.

Anger, despair, loss, exhaustion, insecurity, helplessness, _fear…_ as if someone had reached into the deepest, darkest, recesses of your heart and pulled out every ugly and dirty thing that you wanted to keep hidden— exposing it to the entire world.

You're made to feel like a monster.

And before you know it, you lose control: over your actions, over your thoughts, _over your heart_.

Hate takes over, and you realize it.

You are alone. You are weak.

You need help.

You need _power_.

And when you accept that truth, you hear it.

His voice.

" _ **Hello, Marinette."**_

His voice is chilling. It is cold; there is no warmth or love. He terrifies you.

But he has it. Power. And a promise that he will give it to you, if only you do something for him.

Marinette feels the dark magic run through her veins. "Hawkmoth. Nice to finally meet you."

To his surprise, the villain laughs. "That's the first time anyone ever said that to me."

"Well, I _have_ been searching for you for a long time."

Hawkmoth hums. "Interesting." He states. "So I assume you know what to do?"

"I get you Ladybug and Chat Noir's miraculous." She responds. "And you give me power."

"I'm impressed." He pauses, as if in thought. "This won't be an issue for you, then?"

"Do you mean with Chat Noir?" Marinette asks, voice almost as cold as his own. "Don't worry about it. I'll give you his miraculous." She glowers. "In return, let me do what I want to him after."

"Of course." Hawkmoth replied. "Get me that miraculous, and do with him what you wish. He means nothing to me."

The girl readies to reply, before a sudden voice interrupts her.

" _ **MARINETTE!**_ "

_Speak of the devil, and he shall come._

"Chat." She mutters.

The hero rushes over and hunches down to face her, hands pushing up her head to look him directly in the eye. "Marinette, listen to me." He whispers: frantic, scared— as if it were the end of the world. "Look at me. Mari. You are stronger than this. _Better than this._ You can beat Hawkmoth, I'm right by your side, please please _please…_ "

Slowly, Marinette looks up.

_Chat Noir._

The name brings another dagger through her heart. Befriending him as Ladybug, befriending him as Marinette… falling for him as both personas.

She loves him.

Then, a voice, almost taunting: "And he _hurt_ you. Young love is so cruel, isn't it?"

Hawkmoth's words drown out Adrien's almost completely.

" **Prove you're worthy of my power, Marinette."**

Her hands wrap themselves around his neck.

Tears drip from her eyes. _"Chat."_

" _Mari."_

She leans forward, and they kiss.

It's sweet and enchanting and everything Marinette remembers it to be.

Her hands hold his.

Then without warning, she harshly pushes him off her, consequently pulling the ring from his hand.

Chat Noir falls back and hits the wall, gasping as it makes impact with his body.

He detransforms.

A familiar boy stands in his place.

" _Adrien."_ Marinette laughs, as she realizes who it is. She says his name cruelly; almost spits it out. "I should have _known._ Fate works in funny ways, doesn't it?"

Hawkmoth is silent on the other side of the line.

"Marinette, _please._ " He gasps, wincing from the sudden pain. "You are better than this. You are _more_ than someone Hawkmoth can control."

Marinette only blinks at him, stone-faced. And she smiles.

But it's not the smile Adrien was accustomed to; not the sweet smile that he had seen of Marinette from the time they spent together. It was cold, uncaring, _sadistic_. "You're right." She states, hands moving up to her ears.

She removes her earrings.

"… Ladybug?" Adrien asks, barely a whisper, as the pieces finally click in his head.

"You're… Ladybug?"

Hawkmoth finally speaks. "It's _you…"_

Marinette laughs. "Yes. I'm Ladybug." She states, walking over to her now-fearful partner. "Or at least, I was."

"Now with both our miraculouses, I can finally do it." Marinette smiled. "Create a new world: one where nobody has to suffer or get hurt anymore." She puts her hand to Adrien's face, brushing away a tear that fell as she spoke.

A voice interrupts her. "No… what are you doing!? Those miraculous are _mine;_ bring them to me!"

" _Marinette… Ladybug… please…_ give me the miraculous. This is wrong, I know you know."

"Marinette."

" _Mari…"_

" **Give me the miraculous."**

Marinette scowls, then takes both miraculouses in her hand, beginning to put them back on. She only has a moment to see the pure horror on Adrien's face, and hear the alarm in Hawkmoth's voice.

"WAIT, DON'T—"

" _ **Shut up!"**_ She shouts. Her eyes glisten with anger and malice.

" **Don't tell me what to do**. _"_

Marinette doesn't wait another second.

It's suddenly light.

And dark.

Then, nothingness.

**.**

**.**

**.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tried new things with this au: present-tense verbs, gratuitous use of the pronoun "you", and: writing angst, especially. i have thus since realized why i never tried them before (oops).
> 
> probably my least favorite fic so far, but i'm already behind schedule so it'll have to do. ;n; (might still edit it after may ends, though).
> 
> _thank you for reading! ( ´ ∀ `)ノ～ ♡_


	9. o9 - cone of shame

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Marinette tries to watch a movie: even if Chat Noir keeps getting distracted.
> 
>  **my tellonym:** milkisande

**.**

**cone of shame**

_and somehow i'm feeling,  
it's up that i fell._

**.**

**.**

**.**

**IT all began with a Pixar marathon.**

After finding out that Chat Noir had never actually _seen_ a Pixar movie (He'd seen some snippets or the beginnings of the film! He just never reached the end!), Marinette insisted that he come over one night so they could watch it together.

(And after he made a few jokes about the apparent innuendo of staying over, resulting in a less-than-amused look of his girlfriend, he ecstatically agreed.)

They chose a day when Marinette's parents had gone out for the weekend— a long-overdue romantic getaway that she had gotten them for their anniversary— so they two could hang out without anyone disrupting them.

It was nearing midnight and the two had gone through quite a few movies, already reaching Marinette's personal favorite film: **Up**.

She cuddled closer to Chat Noir, who was all too happy with the sudden contact.

They had just reached the scene where the two protagonists were being chased by dogs, and Chat Noir felt himself shudder. He turned to Marinette, an evident look of displeasure on his face. "You know, I feel like something like _that_ would be my worst nightmare," Chat Noir stated, as the animals closed in on the protgonists.

Marinette laughed. "Who would've thought? The kitty's afraid of dogs."

Chat Noir pouted. "Hey, I think _anyone_ would be afraid if that happened!"

"Well, _I_ wouldn't."

"Well, that's because you're perfect."

Marinette blushed, before immediately huffing and looking away. "… sure."

Chat noir quirked an amused eyebrow. "Really?" He asked, entertained. "No thank you?"

Marinette felt herself turn red as she attempted to stand and leave; only to have a pair of strong arms wrap around her and pull her onto his lap.

"Chat!" She laughed, slapping his chest. "Let go!"

Chat Noir hummed as if in thought, then immediately shook his head. "I think… not." He stated simply, only cuddling her close to him, nuzzling into her neck for a moment before looking up at her.

"But I think I found a way for you to thank me." He continued, eyes gleaming.

Marinette didn't like where this was going. She _knew_ where this was going.

Immediately, she started pushing him back. _"No, don't you dare, Chat, I told you we weren't going to_ —"

"Kiss attack!"

He only stated, before immediately dipping down and peppering kisses all over her face.

Marinette could only laugh, swatting at his shoulders as he continued. _"Chat!"_ She managed to say between breaths. "Come on, we should watch the movie!"

Chat Noir only stared at her, playfully, before finally backing off (not without one last kiss, though). "Fine, fine," he surrendered, only to be met with a face full of pillow.

"I said no kiss attacks until we finished going through the films!" Marinette protested, pouting.

The hero at least had the decency to look apologetic. "But I can't help it," he whined. "You're too cute."

Marinette felt her face warm, before hitting him with the pillow again.

"Stop blaming me for you getting distracted!" She argued, before pointing at the movie. "See, look at how much we missed. We'll have to go back and watch it again." Marinette pouted, as the film featured Doug, the dog, being forced to wear a cone around his neck.

" _I do not like the cone of shame."_ Movie-Doug stated.

Chat Noir laughed, hugging his girlfriend close. "I don't think we missed a lot," he argued, attempting to kiss her again as she pushed him back.

Marinette rolled her eyes, before suddenly laughing to herself.

"You know what we should do instead?" She suddenly asked, surprising Chat Noir as she leaned closer to him. Her hands placed themselves on his lap, and the latter found himself gulping from the contact.

"W-What?"

"We should…" she started, fingers trailing up his chest.

"… get you…" her hands wrapped around his neck.

"… something like…" her hands cupped his cheeks.

" _That."_ She simply stated, before pushing Chat's face left towards the screen.

Marinette laughed as her boyfriend's face transformed into one of displeasure.

"Really, Mari?" He asked, unimpressed.

"Yeah!" She giggled. "Cats wear them too, you know. Not just dogs!"

"Even if, it's not like I'm sick or anything!"

Marinette flicked his nose. "Yes, you are. Lovesick." She cringed, before immediately taking it back. "Wait, that was corny."

Chat Noir laughed. " _Just a little bit._ "

"But that doesn't change the fact that you can't stop…" she paused, blushing a bit. "Kissing me. So we need that!"

"Really?" Chat Noir asked, smirking, as he suddenly leaned close. "So you're going to _cone of shame_ me?"

"Yes."

The hero pouted, his own hands going up to hold her face. "And you're really not going to miss me?"

"… yes."

" _Really?_ "

Marinette turned red, as Chat Noir's face was only a breath away from hers.

"Feels like you're not against me being so close, though?"

His catlike grin was enough to push her over the edge.

" _Oh, just shut up and kiss me already."_

**.**

**.**

**.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i cannot BEGIN to explain how hard this prompt was idea-wise but ! i hope you still enjoy coz this was probably the most fun to write so far :^)
> 
> also up is one of my all-time favorite movies so that probably helped too hehe
> 
> _thank you for reading! ( ´ ∀ `)ノ～ ♡_


	10. 10 - can i borrow your miraculous

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Even if Ladybug can’t be there for him, at the very least, Marinette is.
> 
>  **my tellonym:** milkisande

**.**

**can i borrow your miraculous**

_if only you would notice,  
what i'm dying to reveal._

**.**

**.**

**.**

**MARINETTE was as surprised to find Chat Noir on her balcony as he did.**

"Chat…?" She asked, confusion and worry lining her features as she saw her partner ( _not quite_ : the partner she knew was happy-go-lucky, optimistic, and energetic. This Chat was anything but.)

He looked tired.

"Sorry for waking you." He apologized, barely managing to smile. "Mind if I stay here for a bit? Just taking a break from patrol."

That, she knew, was a lie.

She and Chat Noir had been fighting akumas nonstop that week, so as Ladybug, she asked Rena Rouge and Carapace to take over patrolling for the weekend (the two were more than happy to oblige, stating that it was their duty to Paris— though Marinette suspected it was really because they could go on a superhero date together).

So patrol was definitely not the reason why he was there.

As Ladybug, his partner-in-heroics, she knew she had to send him home. (The miraculous should only be used to save Paris, not for any other reason!)

But as Marinette Dupain-Cheng, his _friend_ , she knew she had to be there for him. (After all, Chat Noir knew his responsibilities as a hero. He wouldn't simply use his miraculous for a laugh or some other shallow reason.)

She decided that she should listen.

"Of course," Marinette finally replied. "Stay as long as you want."

"Thanks."

Chat Noir only spared her a glance, before leaning onto the railing, looking downward to the almost empty sidewalks (save for a few passing Parisians; barely aware of the hero watching them from above).

He didn't speak, and Marinette knew better than to push him for a reply. Silently, she just moved next to his form, looking down along with him.

"…"

"I'm jealous of them." Chat Noir finally spoke, breaking the silence between the two.

Marinette only nodded, urging him to continue.

"They get to live their lives as normal," he simply responded. "Going to work or school, hanging out with their friends, having fun together, then finally going home to their families… they look so happy."

Marinette's voice was quiet; almost like she hadn't spoken at all. "You're not happy, Chat?"

The hero sighed. "It's not that, exactly." He finally looked at her, a forlorn smile on his face. It broke her heart. "Sometimes, it's just… a lot."

"What is?"

" _Everything_." Chat Noir made a large circular gesture, as if to illustrate his point. "I mean, don't get me wrong, I _love_ being a hero. It's just, with everyone's expectations on me, not just as Chat Noir, but even when I'm…" he paused, "… _me_ , you know, it gets… _suffocating."_

Marinette could hear the distress in his voice; as if he were on the verge of breaking down.

She wanted to ask him more, tell her she would be there for him, that she would _listen._

But she couldn't. Not without compromising his identity and the secrets they were both trying so hard to protect.

And it felt wrong, too, knowing the most intimate parts of him without him even knowing who he was truly talking to.

"Sorry," Chat Noir said, as if realizing that he might be oversharing. "I'd tell Ladybug, you know. But she wants to stay professional." He exhaled. "And I get that; I admire that about her so much, but it hurts not to be able to talk to the girl I'm in love with." He laughed bitterly. "Besides, I can't tell her. I know how busy she is— how much pressure she's under. I don't want to be a burden to her."

Marinette wanted to cry.

 _It's me_ , she wanted to scream. _I'm Ladybug. I'm here. You're not a burden. Talk to me._

Chat Noir sighed, heartbroken. "Maybe it makes sense." He paused, already welling up with tears. Marinette had to expressly stop herself from hugging him. "I _am_ the hero of destruction. Pretty expected that my life's a mess, too." He laughed, but it was nothing like the laugh she knew; it was bitter, self-deprecating.

"Maybe if I had Ladybug's powers. The power of creation." He continued. "But it's not like I can just go ahead and say, _'Hey Ladybug can I borrow your miraculous? I'm having a meltdown and it'd be nice if my powers didn't reflect that by literally telling me that I destroy everything I touch for once ha-ha!'_ "

Marinette couldn't help it anymore.

To hell with keeping boundaries or being professional.

She hugged him.

Chat Noir froze with her sudden contact, as she looked up at him with a stare so soft that the hero felt like he was about to melt on the spot.

After a moment, she pulled herself away, though leaving her hands holding his. She squeezed them, actively catching his attention.

"You don't destroy everything you touch, Chat." Marinette stated, pointedly making him look at their entwined fingers. "See this?"

"Mari—"

"This isn't destructive." The girl simply continued, smiling softly. "And Ladybug would _never_ think of you as a burden. You bring light and love into her life, and she's extremely grateful to have you as her partner."

Chat Noir tried to smile back, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "How would you know that?"

Marinette paused.

She didn't know what to say.

She remembered Master Fu's words, about keeping their identities secret.

But she also remembered the importance of trust and honesty: how these were basic foundations when it came to keeping a friendship.

And finally, she remembered her partner: Chat Noir, who was always loyal and true to her; Chat Noir, who would never lie or willingly keep secrets from her; and Chat Noir, who was completely in love with her—

 _Ladybug_ , who arguably also loved him back.

Suddenly taking his hands, Marinette brought them up to cup her ears.

She smiled.

"I know because of one simple reason." She whispered, then stepped back.

Her eyes glimmered with determination.

"Tikki, _spots off_."

**.**

**.**

**.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i was wrong THIS was the hardest prompt . i really had no idea how to work this so i just ended up using it in a sentence once ahahha i hope that’s okay ;n;
> 
> anyway give sad kitty noir the love he deserves let him be happy and in love w ladybug im begging :( but yes, as usual:
> 
> _thank you for reading! ( ´ ∀ `)ノ～ ♡_


	11. 11 - chat blanc

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The night Gabriel Agreste tells Marinette to stop seeing his son, she calls Chat Noir.
> 
>  **my tellonym:** milkisande

**.**

**chat blanc**

_has the moon,  
lost her memory?_

**.**

**.**

**.**

" **I'M going to break up with Adrien."**

Chat Noir couldn't believe his ears. " _What?_ " He asked, surprise evident on his features. " _Why?_ "

Panic was evident in his tone, much to the girl's surprise. (Though it was warranted: Marinette had no idea that the person she always talked to about her boyfriend problems was actually her boyfriend in disguise.)

It was the typical 'your best friend is your boyfriend' trope, except for the fact that Marinette had literally no idea she was in it.

The two were on Marinette's balcony, after the anonymous hero had gotten a text from her saying that she needed to talk to him. (The girl had a tendency to call Chat Noir whenever she wanted to rant or scream about something; and he was always her willing confidante.)

Marinette sighed, anger bubbling out of her tone. "It's just… _argh_!" She groaned, running an irritated hand down her face.

Chat Noir looked over at her, encouraging her to continue sharing.

_Like hell was he going to let go of the best thing that ever happened to him._

"Adrien's dad visited me today." Marinette finally shared.

"What? Really?" Chat Noir asked, the shock evident in his tone. So his girlfriend had finally met his dad for the first time since they started dating. Not how he thought they'd meet, but he'd take it. "… What did you think of him?"

"He's a piece of garbage." Marinette deadpanned. "I'm not sure why I ever idolized him."

_Well._

"He can't be thatbad!" Chat Noir protested. (He was still his dad, after all).

"You don't knowhim, Chat. You have _no_ idea what he's like." Marinette pointed out.

He begged to differ, but let her continue speaking nevertheless.

"He told me that if I didn't stop seeing him, he'd pull Adrien out of school!" Marinette finally shared, exploding. "I mean, how _dare_ he?! Adrien doesn't deserve that and honestly, I don't either like, _what kind of parent would—"_

Marinette rambled on, as Chat Noir only stared in shocked silence.

His dad did _what_?

The hero felt his knuckles clench in anger. Adrien loved his dad, sure, and he had tried _so_ hard to understand him: but _enough was enough_. He had been locked in his house, forced into a strict and suffocating schedule, barred from going out with his friends, and generally stripped of any semblance of freedom that a teenage boy was entitled to.

He could take it. He told himself that it was for his protection. It was his dad's (albeit misguided) way of showing how much he cared about and loved him.

But actively threatening his girlfriend? By manipulating her into 'deciding' his happiness?

That wasn't protection.

That wasn't love.

That was pure, unadulterated, hate.

"So… what?" Char Noir managed to ask, biting back the anger that threatened to pour out of his voice. (He couldn't be that affected, after all; as far as Marinette was concerned, Chat Noir had no personal stake in their relationship, aside from the fact that they were friends.)

"What do you mean?"

"What are you going to do about it?" Chat Noir finally asked. "You're just going to break up with him?"

Marinette looked up at him, anger in her own voice. "What else can I do!? Staying with him is selfish! I could never live with myself if I knew I was the reason for him going back to being locked up at home! I can't take that freedom— however small it is— from him!"

"Can you imagine how he'd feel?!" Chat Noir argued. "His girlfriend breaking up with him out of nowhere? No matter what, I—," he paused, as if catching his mistake. "I _know_ he loves you! Are you going to throw all that away?"

"I don't want to!" She shouted back, finally collapsing onto the floor. Her hands went to drag themselves down her cheeks as she started sobbing. Her voice changed to sound timid; helpless. "I love him. And that's why I have to let him go."

Chat Noir felt his own tears threaten to fall, as he kneeled down to look at her at face-level.

He cupped her face. "No," he stated, determination in his eyes. "That's why you have to fight for him."

Marinette smiled through her tears, managing a laugh as she stared up at him with renewed hope in her eyes.

"Thanks, kitty."

Chat Noir only smiled, allowing her to lean onto his chest, as she slowly cried out all her tears.

He loved her.

He would always protect her.

And Gabriel Agreste was going to pay.

.

.

In the safety of his lair, a familiar villain grinned.

He originally planned for his victim to be the girl, but this— _this_ was so much better.

The butterfly flew over to the balcony, and Chat Noir barely noticed as the akuma touched his bell.

" **Hello, Chat Blanc."**

**.**

**.**

**.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> an alternative take to what would happen in chat blanc, though the end result’s still the same (oops).
> 
> i had no plans on still keeping him akumatized originally, but it might be out-of-prompt if i don’t ;n; so take the ending as you will! (you can ignore the last hawkmoth bit, like i do lmao)
> 
> _thank you for reading! ( ´ ∀ `)ノ～ ♡_


	12. 12 - kwami swap

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Plagg is under Marinette’s care, and she’s convinced he’s more trouble than he’s worth.
> 
>  **my tellonym:** milkisande

**.**

**kwami swap**

_this heart is the,  
best part of me._

**.**

**.**

**.**

**MARINETTE smelled like thousand-year-old cheese.**

Exhaustedly, she rubbed her forehead, pointedly glaring at the black figure next to her. "Tell me why I have to do this again?" She whined, as the kwami only shrugged.

"Precautionary measures," Plagg only responded, flying over to face his (albeit temporary) master directly. "We have to be sure that in case you're akumatized, somebody else can use the Ladybug miraculous to save Paris."

"But we didn't have to do this before!"

"Yeah, but since that close call with Lila, it'd be better to be safe than sorry." Plagg smirked. "Or you learn to control your emotions."

Marinette snarled. "That was not my fault! Lila's just…" she made an exploding gesture with her hands, "… she's such a…!"

Plagg raised his arms. "Hey, no need to convince me," he responded. "I don't like that liar girl either. Worse than Chloe, to be honest."

Marinette groaned. "At least Chloe's upfront about being mean, you know? Lila… she acts like this goody two-shoes and—!" She raised an eyebrow. "Wait… _how do you know them?_ "

"Oh!" The kwami flew back, almost nervous. "It's just because they've been akumatized a lot! Right?"

In response, Marinette rolled her eyes, (thankfully) choosing to drop the subject. "Right. Not to mention, caused _a lot_ of people to be akumatized."

"That too." Suddenly, Plagg grinned. "You know what we should do?"

"What?"

"We should cataclysm them."

"…"

"…"

"That's it you're going back in the box—"

" _NO MARINETTE WAIT—!_ "

She grabbed at the kwami, dangling him by his feet. She sighed, pinching her nose. "I just don't understand now Chat Noir deals with you."

Even upside down, Plagg smirked. "Oh yeah, your _boyfriend_."

Marinette scowled at him, immediately shaking the kwami. "He is _not_ my boyfriend," she stated, only letting go when the kwami cried surrender.

Plagg shook his head, then pointedly glared at the girl. "You're really still going on with that?"

Marinette sighed. "I can't date him, Plagg." She pointed out. "He doesn't love me. He loves—"

Plagg rolled his eyes. "Ladybug," He cut her off. "He loves Ladybug. And _you_ are Ladybug, so…"

"So _nothing_." Marinette stated sternly. "He doesn't know that I'm Ladybug. And it's imperative that it stay that way. Besides," she sighed. "I still haven't sorted out my feelings for Adrien. I don't want to pursue Chat without being sure."

Plagg snickered, causing the girl to glare at him. "What's so funny?"

He simply shrugged, then in a sing-song tone: " _no~thing~!"_

Marinette was about to continue questioning him, when they were suddenly disrupted by knocking on her balcony door.

" _Marinette?"_

The voice called, and she froze. "Wait," Plagg started. "What the heck is he doing he— _argh_!?" He managed to say before Marinette abruptly picked him up, cupping the kwami in her hands as she put them behind her back.

The balcony door opened.

"Chat…!" Marinette started, as a familiar figure peeked into her room.

Chat Noir smiled sheepishly, entering the room, then gestured down at his red-and-black outfit. "It's Mister Bug right now, actually."

"O-Oh!" The girl responded, ignoring Plagg attempting to struggle out of her grasp. "Then, _Mister Bug_ , what are you doing here?"

The hero scratched his head. "I was just hoping we could talk?" He asked.

"Why me?"

Marinette could swear he turned red, but it passed so quickly that it was like it hadn't happened at all. "I wanted to tell you something."

"Then speak away!" Marinette responded, awkwardly raising one arm as if to gesture that he could say anything he wanted (only to regret it as the kwami struggled harder, resulting in her tightening grip around his tiny body).

" _Can't… breathe…"_

Marinette pointedly chose to ignore the voice. To her relief, Mister Bug did too (choosing to skate by not only the voice, but also how awkwardly she was acting. He didn't look like he noticed at all, actually; like he was occupied with something else entirely.)

Mister Bug walked closer to her until they were only a breath away from each other. Marinette looked up in wonder and confusion. "Chat?"

"Marinette…" he whispered, tilting his head down to look at her directly. One of his hands went up to cup her cheek, and she found herself melting at his touch.

They stared for a moment, as the hero brushed his thumb across her cheek. She was sure she was the color of Mister Bug's suit, now.

"What are you doing?" She squeaked, disbelieving.

He smiled, softly, then stated, "Marinette… I like you."

"What?!"

" _ **Finally!"**_

Both Marinette and Mister Bug paused at the third voice.

Apparently, Marinette's grip had weakened enough for the kwami to let himself out, who was sneakily floating away from the scene before suddenly voicing his surprise.

"Oh, _crap_."

Mister Bug stared at his kwami, shock apparent all over his face. "Plagg… is that…?"

Marinette noticed that look, resulting in the girl frantically shaking her head as he backed away. "No, no, no, this isn't—"

Mister Bug only pointed at her. "Wait… then that means… you…" he paused, as the gears began to turn in his head.

"It isn't what you think this random pet just showed up and—"

"… _**Ladybug**_ _?!"_

" _Oh my God Chat no way—"_

"I…" Mister Bug attempted to form sentences, but found that he couldn't do it.

Instead, almost completely silent: " _Tikki, spots off._ "

"Wait! Don't detransform, I can't—"

"…"

"…"

"…"

" _ **ADRIEN!?"**_

(Then, in an admittedly lower, but a thousand times more terrifying tone: **"Plagg…**

… **what the** _ **hell**_ **did you do?"** )

**.**

**.**

**.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> did not like chat’s confession here bc it seemed so rushed + out of nowhere, but i was going over word limit so ig we’ll deal with it :^(
> 
> unseen content from this fic: tikki encouraging adrien to be honest and confess his feelings, thus why mister bug showed up on marinette’s door . also so many plagg and mari shenanigans . plus: last dialogue was tikki, in case it wasn’t clear.
> 
> _thank you for reading! ( ´ ∀ `)ノ～ ♡_


	13. 13 - flower crown

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Marinette’s class goes to a local greenhouse (and Chat Noir too, apparently).
> 
>  **my tellonym:** milkisande

**.**

**flower crown**

_like a petal on a stream,  
a feather on the air._

**.**

**.**

**.**

" **IS Marinette okay?"**

Adrien looked over at his groupmate with worry, as he noticed the girl hurriedly walk over to what he assumed was a nearby bathroom.

Alya had the same level of concern, as she only offered the boy a sympathetic smile. "It's nothing, she's really just not good with these kinds of places." She frowned, confusedly braiding the stems together. _"Ugh,_ how do you do this?!"

"What do you mean?" Adrien prodded, only growing even more worried. He wasn't sure why here, of all places, would make anyone uncomfortable, finding for himself the place quite beautiful and refreshing:

The place in question being the local greenhouse and conservatory, some distance away from their school.

Miss Bustier decided that it would be a good place to have a field trip, since their class was currently learning about nature and botany. Everyone, of course, was excited— save for their class representative, who looked less than happy over the choice.

Adrien originally thought that maybe he'd imagined it, but was finally convinced by her behavior once they arrived. She couldn't really hide it that well, after all.

He sighed, reaching over to get Alya's flowers. The girl in question raised an eyebrow, and he shrugged. For some reason, he was pretty amazing at making flower crowns.

In response, Alya tilted her head, pursing her lips in thought. "I'm not really sure," she finally replied. "She just tends to avoid super forested areas? But I know she loves flowers and nature, so it's probably not that." Alya suddenly shivered, feeling a grasshopper jump onto her shoulder. "Maybe it's the insects? I know I'm not a fan of all these creepy-crawlies all over my business."

Still noticing his uneasy look, Alya put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry, Adrien. She just needs a minute, and she'll be back. She's not the type to just leave us hanging!"

He was about to respond, until Miss Bustier's voice cut through the garden. "Everyone who's done with their flower crowns can come with me to the butterfly conservatory!"

The two stared at each other for a moment, before Adrien spoke up. "I'll wait for her; she might not have heard Miss Bustier from the bathroom."

Alya only took a moment before nodding, running after the rest of their classmates to catch up.

As soon as she left, Adrien took his flower crown and immediately went to one of the empty sheds, calling out his kwami.

"Adrien?" He asked, confusion on his face. "What are you doing?"

"I need Chat Noir." He simply stated.

"Why? There aren't any akumas here."

Adrien faced his kwami, the concern evident on his features. "It's Marinette." He finally shared. "I'm worried about her."

"Then why not just talk to her as Adrien?" Plagg pressed him. "I don't understand why you have to transform."

He sighed. "It's just… Marinette's still awkward around me. _Adrien me_ , at least. But Chat, she's much more comfortable with. Maybe she'd be more willing to talk to him."

Plagg narrowed his eyes. "You know, the miraculous shouldn't be used for personal purposes or to flirt with your crush, right?"

Adrien turned red. "I don't have a crush on her!" He protested, immediately shaking his head. "This is just friendship concern. And just think of it as me trying to avoid the possibility that she'll be akumatized. Precautionary measures," he pointed out.

"I still don't think—"

"Sorry what I didn't hear you, did you say go for it? I'm assuming yes! Okay… _**Plagg, claws out!**_ "

" _Adrien, wai—!"_

The bright glow of a transformation filled the area, as the hero began to stealthily make his way to the bathrooms: only to find an all-too-familiar girl run into the very shed he was already inside.

The warm push of her body sent them both tumbling back in, the flower crown falling out of his hand.

"Ack! I'm so sorry, I— _Chat_?"

Marinette held her head, finding that she was sitting right on top of her unknowing superhero partner.

He smiled sheepishly— awkwardly. "Marinette!" He started. "What are you doing here?"

She stared, suspicion on her features. "I'm on a field trip." She finally responded, suddenly pulling up the hero by his bell. "The more accurate question is, _why are you here?_ "

Chat Noir felt himself sweat, immediately rattling off an excuse. "I heard that an akuma was here, somewhere, so I came to check it out!" He began. "But everything seems fine, so I was just planning to leave! Everyone seems to love it here, after all!"

Marinette stared for another moment, before sighing and letting him go. "Not everyone," she muttered, getting up to sit next to him.

At that, the concern returned to Chat Noir's face full force. "You're not okay?" At her suspicious glance, the hero continued. "You don't have to answer, of course. But I'm here to listen… if you need to talk to anyone."

Against herself, Marinette found a smile form in her face. "Thanks, Chat." She finally replied, another sigh escaping her lips. "It's just… I'm not great with these places."

"I'm not great with dark sheds, either." He joked, before immediately shutting up at her pointed look. "You're more of an indoors person, then?"

"It's not like that," Marinette protested, shaking her head. "I'm not great with… what comes with that territory."

Chat Noir knitted his eyebrows, before recalling what Alya had told him previously. "Oh, so not a fan of insects?"

Marinette hummed. "Well, I guess that's somewhat right." She paused, a look of pain flashing in her eyes before disappearing almost immediately. "I'm not that great with butterflies." The girl finally confessed, hugging her knees to her chest.

Chat Noir could already tell where this was going.

"It's definitely not a big deal!" Marinette was quick to amend, shaking her head. "I just can't stand them now… with all the akumas and everything, sometimes it's hard for me to tell the difference…" she winced, as if her body recalled the sensation of something terrifying. "I can't help but wonder if they're here to akumatize me or my friends, and that feeling just doesn't go away no matter how hard I try."

Against her will, Marinette felt tears welling up in her eyes, and it broke Chat Noir's heart to see it.

He typically underestimated how damaging Hawkmoth could be; not just physically, but mentally. It must've been difficult to see her friends get akumatized; or even to have the fear of being akumatized herself— to have to be so careful not to feel any negativity else she become villainized and cause more damage than what was already done.

It was difficult for him, too (and he couldn't even begin to imagine how he could have coped without Ladybug's presence).

Wordlessly, he pulled her over to him in a sudden hug, much to the girl's surprise.

"Hawkmoth is a total d-word, isn't he?" Chat Noir finally asked, earning surprised laughter from his friend.

"He really is," she muttered into his chest, finally laying her head on his body.

Chat Noir smiled, one hand comfortingly rubbing at her back, the other on the ground; as he suddenly noticed a familiar item some distance away from him.

Without hesitation, Chat grabbed it and put it on his partner— who was all too shocked with the sudden weight on her head.

She sneezed, moving her hand to feel the strange object.

"Chat? What's this?"

"I found it lying around," he lied. "It's a flower crown."

She laughed, then shook her head. "And what's it for?"

"As long as you wear it, you'll be safe from Hawkmoth." Chat stated, ignoring the disbelieving look of his partner. "Because I'll always be here to protect you." He continued, smiling softly. "I— me and Ladybug— we will always foil his plans; we'll never let him take our miraculous and over Paris."

Marinette smiled, about to respond until the all-too-familiar voice of her friend pierced the area. " _Mari… where are you!?"_

They both paused, Chat Noir abruptly standing up and scratching his head. "Well!" He laughed, awkwardly. "Guess that's my cue to leave."

He smiled, bowing down to kiss her hand, then saluting before he ran out. "See you, Marinette!"

.

.

Marinette waved absentmindedly, before stepping out of the shed. She smiled, recalling how goofy and kind Chat Noir was— not just to Ladybug, but even to Marinette (who, as far as he was concerned, was just another civilian). She found herself absurdly happy, taking the flower crown down to look at it with her own hands.

Red roses, dark blue irises, and light blue hydrangeas… it was a unique choice, but it was beautiful.

" _There you are!_ " Alya suddenly cried, running over to her best friend. "I thought you went to the bathroom!"

Marinette looked away awkwardly. "I— uh— took a detour."

Alya folded her arms, disbelieving, before she noticed the crown carefully held by her friend. "Oh, where's Adrien?"

"What?"

She smiled, almost smug. "He was waiting for you."

"I haven't seen him anywhere. Maybe he's still making flower crowns?"

Alya scoffed. "Yeah, sure." She nudged her arm towards the item in her hand. "And that's not his flower crown, somebody else just made one exactly like it."

Marinette looked at her in confusion, immediately shaking her head. "No, this was given to me by—"

And suddenly it clicked.

Chat Noir suspiciously being in the greenhouse. Chat Noir being unnecessarily worried about her. Chat Noir, who had a flower crown that was exclusively and uniquely made by her long-time crush and arguable love of her life…

"… _**ADRIEN?"**_

**.**

**.**

**.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter doubled over my limit but u know what it’s okay as long as u had fun right? :D (not really but o k) . i still think it’s worth the read ! :DD
> 
> anyway ,, idk if any of u noticed but im becoming overly fond of the end-of-fic surprise reveals .... but im just gonna call that my trademark and ignore the reality that im just running out of ideas havsjska 
> 
> _thank you for reading! ( ´ ∀ `)ノ～ ♡_


	14. 14 - chocolate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Marinette has 'girl problems', and Chat Noir might have just the thing to make her feel better.
> 
>  **my tellonym:** milkisande

**.**

**chocolate**

_you must love chocolate,  
everybody loves chocolate._

**.**

**.**

**.**

" **MARINETTE, are you sure you can still go?"**

Tikki frowned, flying over to her master, who was groaning as she lay down in a fetal position. She looked up at her kwami, offering a weak thumbs up. "Yeah," she managed to mutter. "I can't leave him waiting."

The girl sighed and attempted to stand up, but gasped as another sharp pain shot through her stomach.

" _Ugh!_ " Marinette groaned, holding her belly as she fell back on the bed. She ignored Tikki's pointed look, only rolling over to scream into her pillow. "I _hate_ being a girl!"

The kwami looked sympathetic: ever since Marinette had gotten her period, she'd gotten a lot more irritable (after all, she was still adjusting; her hormones were all over the place and that clearly meant her emotions were too). But a huge factor, Tikki noted, was probably the stress of having to be Ladybug while all that was happening.

She felt sorry, knowing that Marinette had to constantly push herself to save Paris even during the times she was supposed to be resting.

Especially today, when the teenager was already experiencing a pretty terrible bout of cramps.

"It's okay, Marinette!" Tikki said cheerfully, floating next to her ear. "I'm sure Chat Noir can handle patrol today. He'll understand if you won't be able to show up. Just tell him!"

Marinette groaned, turning her head to face her kwami directly. "It's not just that…" she sighed, suddenly turning red.

Tikki smiled.

Ever since Marinette discovered Chat Noir's true identity— she was the guardian, now: it was her duty to know who all the miraculous holders were— their meetings became a lot more romantically-charged than usual. (The influx of hormones weren't really helping, either.)

"You can see him any other day!" Tikki pointed out, teasing, as the girl immediately went back to burying her head in her pillow, realizing she was caught. "Right now, you just need to rest."

"But he said he had something _important_ to tell me, Tikki," Marinette cried, pouting. "I've been looking forward to this patrol all week."

Tikki smiled, nuzzling up to her holder. "He can tell you any other time, Marinette! I'm sure he'll understand if you just tell him the truth."

Marinette finally nodded, giving up. " _Fine_ ," she sighed. "Just let me text him."

Tiredly, she grabbed at her phone, haphazardly sending a text:

_sorry i cant make it to patrol, im not feeling great. :(_

_think you can handle doing it alone for now?_

The reply was almost immediate:

_**of course, milady. x** _

_**are you okay, though ?** _

_definitely not, but it'll pass! T-T_

_being a girl sucks that's all,,_

_**oh, well be sure to get rest then!** _

_**i'll see you soon 3** _

_see you, kitty._

.

.

Chat Noir frowned, leaning watchfully over one of the balconies.

Flowers and candles lined his surroundings (something he admittedly tried before, but who knows: second time's the charm?), as he blew them out.

He was planning to confess to her during that patrol— something that he _had_ already done only a few months ago; but he was also sure that something had shifted between them since them.

Ever since she found out he was Adrien. And ever since he found out she was Marinette.

The hero hated himself for taking so long to figure it out, but argued that she was extremely different when she was either persona. However, when Chat Noir finally revealed his true identity to Ladybug, the glaring similarities between the two were too huge to ignore: her all-too-familiar awkward personality as Marinette in the costume of the girl he was in love with.

He checked his messages again, concern decorating his features.

 _Girl problems_ … that meant she was on her period, right?

He heard about these issues from his other classmates (a lot of whom talked to him about these issues; apparently he just had that ' _vibe'_ that made them so comfortable with him). To his understanding, periods were an absolute nightmare: sometimes resulting in cramps that would keep them bedridden for hours.

Chat Noir felt himself shudder. He couldn't imagine going through something like that at all.

He also recalled Alya saying that sweet things always made her feel better. Chocolate, especially.

The hero looked down at the box of heart-shaped chocolate he was holding.

(Yes it was cliche, but it was a popular trope for a reason!)

An idea came to him.

" _Plagg, detransform!"_

.

.

Marinette woke up to the sound of a _knock!_ on her balcony door.

Groaning as she rolled over, a look of irritation evident, she got up and went outside— only to come face-to-face with a familiar black figure.

"Plagg." Marinette basically spat. "What are you doing here?"

The kwami felt himself shudder. "I came at a bad time, didn't I?" He asked, before immediately shutting up at the girl's unimpressed glare. "Look, I'm just a delivery guy here, okay?"

Marinette raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

Plagg sighed, then suddenly pushed a heart-shaped box to drop onto her hands. She looked up at him, confused. _"What is this?"_

The kwami grinned. "From your _loverboy_ ," he drawled.

Then, before she could ask any more questions, he immediately flew away. "Just check the note, Marinette! Hope you feel better with your lady problems!"

Before she could shout back, Plagg was gone.

Suspicious, Marinette opened the box, only to find a wide variety of chocolate, with a piece of paper neatly placed on top.

_Sad that we didn't pull through with our date, but have this to still make the day a little sweet!_

_Hope you're feline better,_ _**Marinette** _ _._

_Chat Noir. X._

The gasp that escapes Tikki's mouth doesn't compare to the sudden disbelieving scream that escapes Marinette's.

" _ **Excuse me?!"**_

**.**

**.**

**.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> was this fic me projecting? completely— if i have to suffer thru cramps then marinette does too. but then again, she has a caring superhero almost-boyfriend, so someone’s clearly winning (and it’s clearly not me). f.
> 
> anyway: my laptop recently broke down, so please forgive me if there are any mistakes in what im posting. :( i’m planning to have it fixed, but quarantine’s really limiting my options so we’ll just pull through for now ! but yes, as per usual–
> 
> _thank you for reading! ( ´ ∀ `)ノ～ ♡_


	15. 15 - friendship

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chat Noir follows Marinette as she goes out with a boy. For friendship purposes, clearly.
> 
>  **my tellonym:** milkisande

**.**

**friendship**

_you know what friends do?  
they've got your back!_

**.**

**.**

**.**

" **I'M not jealous, I'm just concerned for her!"**

Plagg rolled his eyes, not falling for his lie for even a second. "Really?" He asked, watching his owner not-so-stealthily hide behind a bush. "You're _still_ trying to convince yourself that you're just friends?"

Adrien looked away from the two for a moment to glare at his kwami. "We _are_ just friends!" He argued.

" _Sure_ , because friends casually stalk other friends going on dates, right?" Plagg ignored the boy's pointed stare, before continuing, as if in thought. "Though even normal people with crushes wouldn't do that."

He smirked. "Maybe you're just insane."

Adrien rolled his eyes, turning back toward the friend in question.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

His eyes made their way to the figure next to her:

And _Nathaniel Kurtzberg._

Adrien only happened to hear about their meetup by accident, when he went back to school to retrieve some forgotten item in his locker.

Everyone in their entire class was more than aware of Nathaniel's crush on the girl, especially after the whole _Evillustrator_ incident. Marinette was completely fine with it, though, remaining to be good friends with him (she was sweet like that, always prioritizing other people's comfort over her own).

"I just want to make sure Nathaniel doesn't do anything he shouldn't," Adrien responded, almost immediately feeling bad.

In his heart, he knew his classmate wouldn't do anything like that. He was a good guy, and the two had hung out on more than one occasion.

The idea that Marinette went out with him, only the two of them, just didn't sit right with him for some reason.

He decided that it was because he worried about her.

"No, it's because you likeher." Plagg replied, then shrugged. "You were speaking out loud."

Adrien blinked. " _Again?_ "

He sighed, before watching Marinette suddenly get up, waving goodbye to her friend.

"Oh crap, she's coming here!" Adrien panicked. "She can't see me here, I told everyone I wasn't free today!"

Marinette walked closer, noticing a familiar tuft of blonde hair.

"Plagg! Claws in!"

The kwami only looked at him in disbelief, before disappearing into his ring as the hero emerged from the bushes— effectively shocking the girl standing in front of him.

"Oh, _Chat_! I thought you were someone else." She stated, surprise in her features. "What are you doing here?"

"Just doing some random patrolling!" He lied. "Always need to be ready in case an akuma shows up!"

Marinette decided to drop it (thankfully), though the suspicion never quite left her eyes. " _Sure…_ " she trailed off.

Chat Noir laughed, awkwardly, before immediately changing the topic. "What about you? I just saw you with that boy— Nathaniel, was it? You guys are cute together."

Marinette laughed, shaking her head. "No way!" She stated, before correcting herself as she noticed the downward tilt of his lips. "He likes someone else," she explained. "I was helping him out!"

Against himself, the hero felt a wave of relief at the realization that the two were really only friends.

"Oh, that's good!" He responded, then smirked— speaking in a somewhat teasing tone: "Is someone single really qualified to give love advice, though?"

Marinette swatted at him. " _Rude!_ "

"How are things going with your crush anyway?"

Marinette sighed. "As usual," she muttered. "He still sees me as his friend."

Chat Noir put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I mean, you _are_ a great friend!" He said comfortingly, only for the girl to glare back at him.

"But I don't want to be just friends, you know?" She replied, dragging a hand down her face. "I wish he'd at least be _open_ to seeing me in another way."

Chat Noir hummed. "Well, have you tried telling him that?" Noticing Marinette's confused expression, he clarified. "If being subtle doesn't work, being straightforward always helps things along."

Marinette laughed. "You should know all about being straightforward, huh?"

The hero found himself laughing. So his flirting with Ladybug was public news ( _understandable_ , given that he didn't really keep it secret).

"Say what you will about my methods, but at least Ladybug knows that I'm available." Chat Noir winked, causing the girl to roll her eyes.

Until they suddenly lit up.

"Maybe you're right…" she trailed off. "I'll make him realize I'm _purr_ fect for him."

Chat Noir raised an eyebrow, a playful smile on his face. "Punning, I see?"

"Taking a page from your book." She winked, and the strange feeling made itself known to him again.

He didn't really like the thought of anyone else hearing her punning. It was an experience he wanted to keep to himself, for some reason.

Without another word, suddenly, Marinette stretched, as if readying herself for a battle.

She stared up at the sky, determination set in her face.

"Get ready, Adrien Agreste— _I'm coming for you_."

"I— wait— _**Adrien**_?"

**.**

**.**

**.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> adrien’s “Marinette Is Just A Friend!” memes are still the funniest thing in the world to me . so i clearly based this on that lmao (the person nathaniel likes is marc too, if you were curious!)
> 
> on other bigger news i hit milestones today! with this fic, i’m finally at the halfway point of this month! and i got 100 kudos for the first time!! thank you so much for all your support im super super grateful and happy<3 i hope you’ll stick with me til the end!
> 
> _thank you for reading! ( ´ ∀ `)ノ～ ♡_


	16. 16 - do not disturb

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chat Noir meets Marinette's parents in less-than-ideal circumstances.
> 
>  **my tellonym:** milkisande

**.**

**do not disturb**

_my father's stone-faced,  
while you're asking for his blessing._

**.**

**.**

**.**

**MARINETTE'S parents just wanted to be the first ones to greet their daughter on her birthday.**

But as they burst into her room, ignoring the _"do not disturb"_ sign stuck to the entrance, they realized three very important things:

  1. That they were (unfortunately) not the first people to greet her,
  2. That the first to greet her was an all-too-familiar boy (even with the mask on) and:
  3. That they _really_ should start valuing their daughter's privacy more.



Turning a shade of red that her parents didn't think was possible— Marinette, their daughter, their little girl (— well, _maybe not so little anymore_ ), looked at them in shocked horror, before immediately pushing the hero off her bed, and sitting up.

" _Meowch!_ " Chat Noir groaned, glancing disbelievingly at the girl. "What was _that_ for!?"

Marinette didn't speak, only smiling awkwardly as she roughly nudged him with her foot; tilting her chin forward as he followed its direction:

Only to come face-to-face with the Dupain-Chengs— both with their mouths comically parted in surprise, wearing party hats, as Tom Dupain held a grandly decorated chocolate cake in his hands.

_Oh._

_Oh,_ _**crap**._

Mirroring Marinette's face, Chat Noir adopted an awkward smile of his own, somehow managing to offer a weak wave at the two adults. "… _Nice to see you again!"_

Tom dropped the cake.

_What a waste of chocolate._

.

.

Marinette had no idea how she was going to spend her nineteenth birthday, but it definitely wasn't like _this_.

She gulped, hands awkwardly placed on her lap as Chat Noir sat next to her, equally terrified with the turn of events. Across them sat her parents— a common expression on their faces that she'd never seen before, and couldn't quite decipher.

Either way, Marinette didn't like it.

They had been sitting in silence for some time— her parents seemed to be waiting for her to speak, but she still had no idea what to say.

She was still horrified.

Fortunately for her, however, Chat Noir finally decided to break the silence.

"So… it was nice of you to make a cake for Marinette's birthday."

Tom looked at him, stone-faced. "And now it's in the trash."

Chat Noir looked like he wanted to disappear. "Yeah." He finally replied, somewhat meekly.

" _Yeah."_

Tom stared at the two for a moment, before sighing. "So… what are you two?" He pointedly looked at Chat, who gulped from the sheer intensity.

He was a cat-themed superhero, but at that moment, he looked like a mouse with the amount of fear in his eyes.

Marinette sighed. Guess she had to take control.

Taking a deep breath, she suddenly took Chat Noir's hand in hers, lacing them together. "We're dating." She finally stated.

Tom raised an eyebrow, a flash of emotion appearing in his face before it disappeared immediately. "Really?" He looked back at Chat Noir. "I thought you didn't like her."

"Oh come on, dad! That was _years_ ago!"

Tom shot her a stern look, effectively causing his daughter to shut up. "I'm asking Chat Noir."

Chat Noir gulped, then took a deep breath. With newfound confidence, he stared back at his girlfriend's father. "Things have changed. I'm in love with Marinette now, and I'm the luckiest cat— person in the world to be with her."

"So you have no more feelings for Ladybug?" He asked. "You two seem awfully close whenever you're on the news."

Marinette gulped. Ever since they found out each other's identities, it was, frankly, much harder to keep their hands off each other (in whatever persona they were). It was one of the reasons they kept their dating low-profile, in case anyone connect the dots and realize their true identities.

Chat Noir glanced at Marinette, before nodding. "I still admire Ladybug. She's been my partner for years, and I can't imagine my life without her."

Against herself, Marinette found a smile form on her face. Her dad, on the other hand, much less enthused.

Undaunted, the hero continued. "But the same goes for Marinette. She's not only my girlfriend, but my best friend; she's my soulmate, and means everything to me." He shot the girl a soft smile. "I love your daughter."

At that, her mom finally spoke up.

"Okay, Tom, let them off _already_." She exhaled, as if she'd been actively working to keep quiet. "You've had your fun, dear, let's not drag this any longer than it already has." Sabine looked at Chat, who was evidently shaking. "I think you've scared this poor kitty enough."

The woman laughed as her husband's features softened; almost like he hadn't been angry at all. He grinned, playfully pouting at his wife. "Aw, things were just getting good!" He sighed, before walking up to Chat Noir.

He had no idea what was going to happen.

But he definitely didn't expect to be wrapped up in a sudden hug from his girlfriend's father.

"Welcome to the family, Chat Noir!" He laughed. "We've been waiting for you for _some time_ now."

As her dad hugged what seemed to be the life out of her boyfriend, Marinette only looked on in shock. _"What?!"_

Her mom walked over to her, then smiled. "Your dad and I have known about you and your superhero boyfriend for some time now," she laughed, noticing her daughter's disbelieving look. "You two aren't really subtle, after all. We know you and this house too well."

Marinette watched as her dad put Chat Noir down. "Then why did we have to go through all this!?"

"Your dad wanted to have some fun and play the 'strict father' role he's been seeing on TV." Her mom replied, before leaning over to whisper into her daughter's ear. "He's been obsessed with K-Dramas recently."

"What about you? What did you have to gain?"

Her mom shrugged. "I like seeing your dad enjoy himself," she stated, then pointed a joking finger to Marinette's chest. "And it's fair punishment for you trying to keep him a secret from us."

Tom walked over to his wife, putting a hand around her shoulders. "She's right." He responded, turning to face the two teenagers. "We had to see you two canoodling before you officially introduced yourselves as dating."

 _Canoodling._ Marinette bit back a laugh.

"So… does that mean you're okay with us dating?" She finally asked, still somewhat nervous.

Marinette did love her parents, after all, and she was anxious to have their approval.

"Of course!" They both replied in unison, before laughing at how in sync they were. Her dad smiled. "I can't believe my little girl's dating a superhero! It's exciting!"

Well, his little girl was also _a_ superhero, but it's not like she could tell him that.

He'd have to settle with knowing she was dating one.

Chat Noir and Marinette smiled, turning to face each other, before her mom interrupted with a sudden _**ahem**_.

"Just because we're okay with it, however," her mom started.

"Does not mean we're not implementing a few rules." Her dad finished.

Marinette raised an eyebrow. "What rules?"

"First of all, Chat Noir has to greet us whenever he's here." Her mom began, staring at the two. "And he enters through the _front door_ , like a normal boyfriend."

Marinette was about to speak, before immediately closing her mouth at their pointed expression.

"So no more sneaking him into your room," her dad stated. "We need to know when he's here."

Although she wanted to protest, Chat Noir stopped her and nodded. "We understand."

"In return, you can see him however much as you want." Then her mom smiled. "And we'll stop entering your room whenever you have the 'do not disturb' sign up." She winked, causing both teens to turn red.

" _ **Mom!"**_

Her dad looked equally terrified:

" _ **Sabine!"**_

**.**

**.**

**.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i got access to a computer babey fics will be above-average again instead of jus average ugh love that<3 anyway . challenged myself to write something different this time around! which led to this idea (that may have spiraled out of prompt,, again,,,) but i still think it's fun so !! nyeh if u dont like it >:(
> 
> also i watched she-ra yesterday and am still an emotional wreck. this has nothing to do w this fic but if any of u are lookin for somethin to watch while waiting for the next season of mlb ,, i highly recommend lmao ok done with this (probably unwanted) promo:
> 
> _thank you for reading! ( ´ ∀ `)ノ～ ♡_


	17. 17 - balcony

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "It is the east and Marinette is the sun!"
> 
>  **my tellonym:** milkisande

**.**

**balcony**

_aphrodite, don't forget me,  
romeo and juliet me!_

**.**

**.**

**.**

" **O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?"**

" _Right here, milady."_

Marinette turned, surprised at the sudden voice that pierced her balcony. She sighed, upon noticing the all-too-familiar hero leaning on the railings, a smirk on his face.

"Romeo?" She asked, walking up to him, almost only a hair's breadth away. His smirk faded as he gulped. "I'm surprised." She continued. "No wonder us Capulets despise you Montagues so— you're not worth going against an age-old feud for"

She suddenly pulled away, walking as the hero pouted. "Nice, Marinette." He muttered, unimpressed, following after her. " _So_ , Romeo and Juliet?"

Marinette looked back at him, and rolled her eyes. "A requirement for class," she finally responded. "We're supposed to perform the _infamous_ Balcony Scene."

"And you're playing Juliet?" He asked (though he already knew the answer).

She shrugged. "All the girls are. And all the boys, Romeo." Marinette responded, tiredly looking at the paper. "Miss Bustier— our teacher, said it'd be a good experience. We have to perform it next week. She'll pick out the names randomly to decide on the acting pairs."

Chat Noir nodded, as if hearing it all for the first time.

Marinette had no idea he was her classmate, after all.

"Sounds exciting!" He only responded, only to be greeted with a less-than-amused look. "Not a fan of Shakespeare, then?"

She only groaned in response. "More like, not a fan of performing." She shuddered. "I just get so nervous when I'm on stage. I prefer being in the background, you know? I asked Miss Bustier if I could just do costumes, but _everyone_ has to perform, apparently."

Marinette frowned. "And I can't get into this character at all!"

"Maybe it'd work better if you had someone to practice with," Chat Noir responded. "From personal experience, it's better to do that rather than do it alone." He remembered going through the lines with Chloé— and though it was admittedly exhausting, it was much better than just reciting the words alone.

"Yeah," she responded. "That's what I thought, too, but everyone already had someone to practice with." She rolled her eyes. "Or more like, they wanted me to pair up with someone else."

Chat Noir frowned, as if in thought. "Who?"

She immediately turned red, before intensely shaking her head. "Nothing!" She muttered. "I just wanted to get someone as a partner." She sighed, somewhat irritated. "Someone else got to him first, though.

He tilted his head in confusion, before deciding to drop it. Being too curious about her student life might make her too suspicious, after all.

Instead, he had another idea.

"Well, if you still don't have a partner, I'm still available?"

Marinette only looked at him, disbelieving. "Oh, really? And what do _you_ know about Shakespeare?"

Chat Noir smirked, then in perfect intonation:

" _But soft, what light through yonder window breaks?  
It is the east and Juliet is the sun!  
Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon,  
Who is already sick and pale with grief  
That thou her maid art far more fair than she."_

He had been practicing for Miss Bustier's assignment too, after all.

"Chat— I— help me out, _please_."

He smiled in apparent victory.

"Of course,my fair _Marinette_."

.

.

They practiced that whole week (Chat Noir always stopped by her balcony, where they worked on reciting their lines late into the night).

For once, Marinette felt ready to perform.

She walked into the classroom with a rare air of confidence, something that didn't go unnoticed by the rest of her classmates. Alya stared at her with a look of approval as she sat down. "I honestly thought you wouldn't go to class, but you seem different today."

Marinette smiled. "Just feeling a little confident! A good friend helped me out."

To her surprise, Adrien suddenly turned to face her. "I like this new you, Marinette." He winked, before turning back— blissfully unaware of the girl's red face and Alya's not-so-subtle excited nudging.

Only to be distracted by Chloé's sudden entrance, irritation and anger evident in her features as she stomped to her seat, surprisingly not even attempting to move close to Adrien.

"What's with her?" Marinette whispered, before Alya smirked.

"I heard from Nino that Adrien asked if they could stop practicing together." She replied. "I think he found himself a better partner. Or decided to work alone." She shrugged. "Either way, she deservesit."

Marinette looked curiously at Adrien. _Why did he stop working with Chloé?_

Before she could ask, Miss Bustier appeared, a bright smile on her face. "Okay, everyone! Are we ready for the Balcony Scene?" She asked, only to get a cacophony of groans and half-hearted murmurs in response.

"Then, we'll pick the first pair to perform!" She continued, undeterred. Taking out two bowls, she fished around the names, somewhat dramatically, before revealing two thin papers.

"Marinette Dupain-Cheng!" She read, from the first bowl.

Then, from the second bowl:

"… and Adrien Agreste!"

He turned back at her, then smiled. "I hope this Romeo's worth going against an age-old feud for?"

She ignored how strangely familiar that statement made her feel, and just smiled back.

" _Prove it to me._ "

**.**

**.**

**.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im p sure what they meant with the prompt was a literal balcony but u know what heck it romeo and juliet au. :DD hasdkfjs i think it just brought back not-so-fond memories of when we did r&j in high school (my untalented ass was relegated to apothecary lmao)
> 
> i wanted to add the idea of star-crossed lovers n write some / a n g s t / but decided that i didnt want to cry today so fluff it is! angst may be coming up tho so if youre following my updates ,, ready yourselves nyehe
> 
> _thank you for reading! ( ´ ∀ `)ノ～ ♡_


	18. 18 - banana

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Even Ladybug wants to know the face behind the Mr. Banana costume.
> 
>  **my tellonym:** milkisande

**.**

**banana**

_we're both slightly crazy,  
but you— you amaze me._

**.**

**.**

**.**

" **SO even** _ **you**_ **don't know who the person behind Mr. Banana is!?"**

Marinette asked, disappointment evident, as the boy only shrugged. "I only have his costume; sorry, milady." He replied, feeling sympathetic.

But in all honesty, he was feeling pretty confused too.

Chat Noir had stopped by Marinette's after she didn't show up to their meeting place for patrol, only to find her in her room— dressed in pajamas, hair lazily tied into a bun, and the area around her, a whirlwind of papers and pictures thrown around or connected together with string and marker.

It looked like a crazy person's home.

Chat Noir didn't like that his girlfriend was becoming a crazy person..

He glanced up at one of her walls, previously filled with pictures of fashion designs (and pictures of him— something that used to fuel his ego to no end), but now filled with pictures of Mr. Banana; as well as an array of other Parisians who were either crossed with an X, encircled, or marked with a large, red, question mark.

Her computer was open, playing videos of the entertainer, with articles on him haphazardly strewn about the floor.

"Marinette…" he started, carefully, as the girl stared at him with a look that he could only describe as _insane_. "What are you doing?"

She sighed, exasperated, before suddenly pushing the hero towards one of her whiteboards, where she had written down a large amount of random names. She grabbed a marker, then pointed it at him. "This is a list of all the possible people Mr. Banana is," she started.

He looked at the names.

Sure enough, he was there.

_Adrien Agreste._

Understandable, he thought, before looking at the name directly below it.

"Alya Cesaire." He looked up at Marinette, disbelieving, who only stared back at him with equal determination. "You think _your best friend_ is Mr. Banana?"

She narrowed her eyes. "Nobody escapes me," Marinette declared. "Not even my best friend."

"But she's a teenage _girl_ — and Mr. Banana is a middle-aged old man, so…"

Marinette tapped her marker against the board, effectively catching his attention. "Or," she started. "That's what she _wants_ you to think." She looked at the board, eyes wide with suspicion. "We have _no_ idea what's inside that costume."

Chat Noir only looked at her in disbelief, before walking over to the board to read out the rest of the names. "Juleka Couffaine, Kim La Chien, Max Kante, Miss Bustier _— Miss Bustier_ , come on, Mari, this is— _Marinette Dupain-Cheng!?_ "

She only shrugged. "I mean, we've never been together in the same room. Maybe I'm—"

Adrien only walked over to her, concern evident on his face. "Okay, this is going too far," he remarked, before taking the marker from her. "You're going insane. And I don't even understand why you're so set on figuring out his identity, like…"

Marinette beamed. "Glad you asked!"

Ignoring his low mutter that, _"I didn't,"_ the girl continued, pushing him back as she flipped the board:

With a huge picture of Mr. Banana, and the words 'HAWKMOTH' written in large, capital, letters.

"You mean to say…" Chat Noir began.

"You think…

Hawkmoth…

Is…

 _ **Mr. Banana**_ **?** "

Marinette nodded somberly (though Chat Noir had no idea how she was staying so serious— seeing that she was proposing something that was almost a complete conspiracy).

"I know you're doubting me, but let's face it." She responded. "Both Hawkmoth and Mr. Banana are completely anonymous to us. We don't know what they look like behind their costumes. And if we go by your description of Mr. Banana, it also applies to Hawkmoth. We can assume they're both middle-aged men."

"So?" Chat Noir argued. "That's not enough evidence!"

"Yes, but there's other clues you're missing." Marinette pointed out. "Mr. Banana barely speaks, and that's probably because he doesn't want us to connect that he and Hawkmoth are the same person!" She argued. "Besides, we've never seen them in the same room; and he hasn't been akumatized either!"

Marinette looked up triumphantly. **"I've connected the two dots."**

" _You didn't connect shit._ "

" **I've connected it."**

At that, Marinette refused to acknowledge his presence, as Tikki flew over to the hero. She looked exhausted, and Chat Noir couldn't help but feel sorry for her.

"How long has she been going on with this?"

Tikki sighed. "Alya sent her some conspiracy theory channel two days ago, and she's been like this ever since." She tiredly pointed at Marinette, who was busily grabbing papers and sticking them to the wall.

"Damn it, Alya," he muttered, before sighing.

Suddenly, Chat Noir spoke: "Plagg, claws out!"

He detransformed, only for the kwami to stare disbelievingly at the room. He looked at his owner, before sniggering. "Your girlfriend went a little _cuckoo_ , didn't she?"

Adrien glared at him, before dramatically pulling up his sleeves.

"What are you going to do?" Tikki asked, as the boy took a deep breath.

He narrowed his eyes. "I'm going to save her." He paused, then gulped. "I'll bring her out of the downward spiral she's somehow put herself into."

"How will you do that?"

" _By listening to every little conspiracy theory she has so she can get it out of her system."_

He frowned. This was more dangerous than any akuma. More dangerous than Hawkmoth, really. He could only handle so much nonsense before he would explode _(or worse, get dragged down with her)_.

But he loved Marinette. And he couldn't let her continue on this path.

Taking a deep breath, and ignoring Tikki and Plagg's concerned looks, he ran over to his probably-insane girlfriend. He exhaled:

" **Okay, Mari, but what if** _ **my dad**_ **was Mr. Banana and Hawkmoth?"**

**.**

**.**

**.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aka ive been watching a lot of buzzfeed unsolved while drinking and ,, well . i think we ALL want to know what's behind the suit anyway amirite marinette's downward spiral is completely justified! i am also aware that i said angst next chapter but i lied (tho,, check out my she-ra fics if u want light angst hasdfkjs).
> 
> i had two specific memes in my mind while writing this: [one](http://wompampsupport.azureedge.net/fetchimage?siteId=7575&v=2&jpgQuality=100&width=700&url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.kym-cdn.com%2Fentries%2Ficons%2Ffacebook%2F000%2F022%2F524%2Ftumblr_o16n2kBlpX1ta3qyvo1_1280.jpg) and [two](https://i.kym-cdn.com/entries/icons/facebook/000/029/826/2wxmbd.jpg). yes my sense of humor is in the gutter but enjoying urself is what's important so !!!
> 
> _thank you for reading! ( ´ ∀ `)ノ～ ♡_


	19. 19 - tuxedo chat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chat Noir is late and Marinette is, understandably, going to kill him.
> 
>  **my tellonym:** milkisande

**.**

**tuxedo chat**

_want me first and foremost,  
keep me company._

**.**

**.**

**.**

**HE was late.**

Oh God, he was going to be _**so late**_.

Chat Noir frowned, as his baton buzzed with yet anothermessage. He gulped; the hero could already imagine what was waiting for him (and it was _not_ pretty).

He sighed, suddenly jumping up as another bus was thrown at his direction.

"Can't you just stay still!?" August— no, _Gigantitan_ , cried, as he attempted to grab at the hero.

"Afraid not," Chat only responded, as he easily dodged his attacks. "I'm needed for something very, very, important."

Gigantitan cackled. "Well, I doubt you'll make it." He responded, as Chat Noir leapt back. "You'll just have to cancel."

The hero simply ignored that statement, then turned to face the akumatized villain. "You know, I remember when you were just a baby," Chat replied, undaunted. "Much, _much_ , smaller then." He wrinkled his nose. "And cuter."

He barely avoided his hand, swatting at him. "I _am_ cute!" He roared. "Girls are stupid! Saying she never even noticed me— I bet she can't ignore me _now_."

Chat Noir only leaned onto his baton and frowned. "Oh, August. This is about a _girl_?" He asked. "She's not worth the trouble, I'll tell you that."

Gigantitan snarled. "And what do you know about girl problems?"

"Because the perfect girl for you won't ever make you feel like this," he responded easily. "Don't worry, August; you'll find someone! I did!" Chat Noir continued, before another beep came from his baton. "And I better wrap this up before I lose her."

"This isn't close to over!" August only bellowed, as he threw another car at Chat's direction. Finally, he grabbed the hero— only to be surprised with his completely calm face.

"Incoming." Chat Noir only stated, before a familiar red figure passed by, easily knocking the giant off balance.

He smiled, as the heroine walked over to him.

"Queen Bug," Chat Noir greeted. "Took you long enough."

Chloé only scoffed. "It's called being fashionably late." She responded coolly, before immediately shoving a tuxedo his way. "Now put this on— you're _past_ fashionably late, and Marinette's going to kill you." She shivered. "Then she's going to kill me."

"But the akuma—," he started, before the girl rolled her eyes.

"Don't worry, we got this." She replied, turning towards the other heroes who showed up behind her to fight the villain. "I promised Ladybug to get you there." She turned around to leave, then paused.

"And you two deserve this." He swore he could feel the smile on her face. "Congrats, Adrien."

Before he could respond, the heroine leapt away, leaving Chat Noir to turn and run the other direction.

_I'm coming, Marinette._

.

.

Nino was there to greet him as soon as he arrived.

"Dude, you're _so_ late." He stated, as the hero awkwardly stumbled through the door.

"I know, Mari's going to kill me." Chat Noir easily responded, pulling at the suit. "How do I look?"

Nino sighed, then pointed at the top of his head.

_Oh. His ears._

_How could he forget!_

Chat Noir laughed to himself, before immediately calling: "Plagg, claws out!"

The kwami detransformed, and stared pointedly at his master. "You know, this could've been easily avoided if you just gave the ring to Chloé earlier."

"I was on the way!" Adrien retorted. "How was I supposed to know that August would get akumatized? It's not like I could just _leave_ ; everyone else was here, and the people of Paris needed help."

Nino sighed, putting a hand on his shoulder. "I love your sense of duty, man, but even you know better than to mess with Marinette." He responded. "Especially on a day like today."

Plagg only nodded, as the man rolled his eyes. "Okay, okay. You're right." He stated, before facing the doors. Stretching his arms, Adrien exhaled:

"Showtime."

.

.

_Beautiful._

The first thought Adrien had as he entered the church was that Marinette was beautiful, wearing a gorgeous white gown that she'd worked on herself (the perks of marrying a fashion designer!).

But that thought passed quickly, as his eyes went up to meet hers— and hers were, frankly, burning with a look that said, quite accurately, 'I love you, and I don't want to make a scene: but know that after this is all over I am going to _murder_ you.'

However, everyone in the chapel only saw an angelic smile.

He wished he could say the same.

Almost scurrying onto the front, he took note of all the people who were already seated:

There were, in fact, only a few who showed up: he and Marinette agreed on a small wedding, with only the people they cared about and trusted the most. (They decided to hold a bigger superhero wedding later on in the year, as Chat Noir and Ladybug, with which the rest of Paris could celebrate with them.)

A small wedding just seemed ideal— what with their hectic double lives, and how they really couldn't afford to take a break (even with his dad safely in custody, a new Hawkmoth had come to terrorize the city of Paris). They agreed to lend their miraculous for a day in order to enjoy their wedding; but as they always did, things didn't quite work out as planned.

As the priest began the ceremony, Marinette leaned over to her fiancée.

"You know, I thought you saying you were going to be late was just playful banter. I didn't think you'd _actually_ be late." She whispered.

"It was _supposed_ to be playful banter," he responded, almost nervous. "Just get held up with—"

"With an akuma, I know." Marinette stated. "And I love that part of you." She smiled, and he felt his heart warm.

Then in a second, it was gone. "But if you _ever_ keep me waiting when we're married— let's just say, the only ring you'll be keeping is the one that you already own." She stated, pointedly looking at his miraculous.

He gulped. "Mari…"

"And _that_ was playful banter," she only winked, slyly, before turning back towards the priest.

Adrien took a deep breath, clearly mortified, as he breathed out.

It'd been years since they developed a relationship, but hell if she didn't still terrify him.

And he thanked the world everyday for it:

— that he was lucky enough to fall in love and marry the admittedly scary, but _strong_ , _brave_ , and all-around _perfect_ human being that was his fiancée.

Adrien smiled as he looked up at the priest.

"… And do you, Adrien Agreste, take Marinette Dupain-Cheng to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

" _ **I do."**_

"Then, you may now kiss the bride."

And he did.

**.**

**.**

**.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yes, this fic was basically me rewriting the wedding scene from the beginning of the incredibles. i thought it was a good idea before realizing that chat noir couldn’t really defeat any villains without ladybug ,, which resulted in queen bug showing up instead hasdjks
> 
> i hope this was still a fun read though !! i’ve wanted to write a love square marriage for A While now and finally got to it!<3 not that great at fight scenes though ,, (as you can probably tell from the awkward august bit — a grown-up boy with girl problems now asdk)
> 
> _thank you for reading! ( ´ ∀ `)ノ～ ♡_


	20. 20 - cat got your tongue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chat Noir’s helpless when it comes to Marinette.
> 
>  **my tellonym:** milkisande

**.**

**cat got your tongue**

_we can try that,  
you and me._

**.**

**.**

**.**

**IF there was one thing to be known about Chat Noir, it would be that he's rarely ever left speechless.**

Always armed with some witty remark, joke, or flirty comment _(though those were really just reserved for his lady)_ , Chat took pride in his superhero persona always knowing the perfect things to say at the perfect moment.

But that didn't quite seem to apply whenever he was around a certain blue-haired girl.

He gulped as Marinette Dupain-Cheng stood in front of him, eyes looking up to meet his own, a thoughtful and confused look on her face. One of her eyebrows were raised in anticipation, arms crossed as she (not-so) patiently waited for him to speak.

He knew what he wanted to say:

 _I like you. You're ameowzing and I think we'll be purrfect together._ (Apparently he couldn't quite shake off his penchant for puns even in times when they seemed to be a little less than appropriate.)

Irregardless, even when his mind knew what to say, the rest of his body refused to cooperate.

Chat Noir nervously twiddled his fingers together, only to notice how moist they were.

Oh.

Was he _sweating_?

To his horror, the hero felt his palms get clammy and shake.

He didn't do that.

He didn't get nervous.

He was Chat Noir— the goofy, teasing, and (arguably over-) confident hero of Paris.

He wasn't _Chat Noir_ — the blushing and stuttering awkward mess of a boy when it came to his crush.

It was strange, really: he had no qualms about flirting with and wooing Ladybug before.

But when he came to find out who the girl was behind the mask, Chat Noir found himself struggling to even say a single word.

"Chat?" She finally asked, after the silence seemed to stretch on for an eternity.

"I, uh—," the hero faltered as he attempted to form a sentence.

He looked straight at her. _Beautiful_. "I have to tell you something."

Marinette raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement in her eyes. "I know," she responded. "You told me earlier. What you _haven't_ told me was what."

"Ah, _yeah_." He gulped (really, how thirsty was he?). "It's about… us."

"Us?" Marinette asked, her lips tilting upward. "There's an _us_?"

She was teasing him, he knew it.

But he found that he couldn't tease her back at all.

Chat Noir looked away, an evident blush on his cheeks.

"I mean… yes— that is, _if you want to, I'd be all too happy to_ …"

"Happy to… _what_?" Marinette asked, eyes twinkling.

She wanted him to say it.

He wanted to say it too: he _really_ did.

To say the words that they both knew were coming, but that he, for the life of him, just couldn't get out.

"What I'm trying to say is…"

" _Is…"_ Marinette echoed, urging him to continue speaking.

But he faltered.

Again.

Marinette exhaled, a deep breath, upon noticing that he wasn't going to say anything.

She smirked, then leaned close to him, faces only a few milimeters away from each other. "What?" She asked, catching the sudden hike in the hero's heart rate. "Cat got your tongue?"

Chat Noir gulped. He wanted to fight back, make another witty remark:

Something about this cat wanting her tongue…?

He frowned. _Definitely not._

Maybe that was a little less romantic, and more… _creepy_.

Instead, he resignedly nodded.

Maybe it wasn't quite the time for puns and jokes _(as much as he wanted it to be)_.

Maybe he just had to be honest.

"You looked so pretty that it left me speechless."

An honest pause.

Then,

Laughter.

Marinette tried to hold it in, but the soft giggle that escaped her did not go by unnoticed.

Chat Noir turned red. _"Never mind I'm just kidding this was just a—"_

He rambled on, clearly horrified, before the girl burst into a fit of giggles, shaking her head.

"Chat, you're too cute."

_Cute._

_She called him cute._

At this point, he was probably the color of a tomato, subconsciously holding up his hands to cover his face— only for Marinette to grab them, intertwining their fingers together.

He looked down at their hands.

They fit together perfectly.

"It's only three words, you know?" Marinette finally spoke, eyes twinkling with mischief and clear entertainment. "Three little words, eight letters, kitty. Think you can handle them?"

He took a deep breath in.

He could do this.

He defeated akumas on a daily basis, this was _child's play_.

Chat Noir exhaled.

"I love you, Marinette."

She smiled.

" _Well technically, that was one word too many so—"_

" _ **MARI, PLEASE."**_

The girl laughed, meeting his gaze with a bright look in her eyes.

"Just kidding, kitty. Come on, not in the mood to joke anymore?"

Noticing his pointed expression, Marinette smiled, before planting a soft kiss to his lips.

"I love you too." She finally said, winking, before walking away:

Exactly on time for the hero to explode into the color of her superhero suit.

**.**

**.**

**.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> you can take this as the companion fic to day 04 - thief: aka the return of blushy chat noir! (this time, in his pov:>) always a nice change of pace from the typical chat (tho he is also Very Good,, for many reasons!)
> 
> im sorry if this was shorter / more generic than usual but i started working again today so there’s unfortunately less time to write . ;n; i’m still determined to finish this month with consistent updates though, so don’t worry !!
> 
> _thank you for reading! ( ´ ∀ `)ノ～ ♡_


	21. 21 - fireworks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chat Noir's never used sparklers before.
> 
>  **my tellonym:** milkisande

**.**

**fireworks**

_look at the fireworks fly!  
light up the night sky!_

**.**

**.**

**.**

**"SORRY Marinette, I know how much you wanted him to go."**

Alya looked sympathetic, offering a comforting pat on her friend's back in an attempt to make her feel better.

Unfortunately, it didn't do much.

Marinette sighed, giving a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "No, it's okay," she replied. "I'm sure he would've gone if he could."

"Yeah," Nino hummed in agreement. "It's because of his dad, _I'm sure of it_. Adrien wouldn't miss your birthday otherwise."

The rest of her friends nodded.

"Are you sure you still want to celebrate?"

The birthday girl jumped up. "Definitely!" She responded, noticing how she unwittingly brought down the whole atmosphere with her own emotions. "Even if Adrien isn't here, all of you are— and that's more than enough."

Marinette smiled, as she found herself wrapped up in a group hug.

As soon as they let go, Nino held up the sparklers in his hand, a bright grin on his face.

" _Now then, let's get this party started!"_

They all turned to each other, excited, before grabbing a sparkler as they ran around the park, laughing when the fireworks followed; making unique shapes and lines— blissfully unaware of a shadowed figure watching them, hidden by the trees.

.

.

Their party ended late into the night, and Marinette was understandably exhausted— flopping head-first into the comfort of her bed. She readied herself to sleep:

Only for a sudden knock on her balcony door to effectively stop her from passing out.

Marinette already knew who it was before they introduced themselves.

Stifling a yawn, the girl pulled herself up, taking a jacket haphazardly thrown on the floor before getting out; face-to-face with her unknowing partner, _Chat Noir_.

Before she could glare at him; reprimand him for showing up to her house unannounced (especially given that she was only a civilian, and there was no imminent danger— so he shouldn't be there, in the first place), however, the hero revealed a neatly-wrapped box, tied up with a bow.

" _Happy birthday, Marinette."_

Chat Noir smiled, a soft look in his eyes, as he spoke.

Marinette only paused, looking at him in confusion, as the gift was thrust toward her direction. " _Chat Noir…?_ " She asked, eyebrows knitting together. "How did you know it was my birthday? And…"

As if catching himself make some sort of mistake, the hero immediately backtracked. "I mean, that's what Adrien Agrestewanted me to tell you." He amended, then gestured at the box in her hands. "That gift, too. I mean— he wanted me to get it to you."

Marinette looked down at the gift, then back to him. "This is… from Adrien?" She asked, a blush blossoming on her cheeks, before she immediately shook her head. "How did you get it from him?"

"I— uh— we're good friends."

"Really?" Marinette asked, suspicious. "And how would you and _Adrien Agreste_ be friends? What do you two even have in common?"

The hero scratched his head, almost nervous. "He's a fan!" He finally said, then continued. "And believe me, we're a lot more similar than you think."

Ignoring how strange that statement made her feel, Marinette simply sighed, deciding to believe him.

She suddenly looked up, a small frown on her face. "Then do you know why he couldn't make it?" She asked, twiddling her fingers together, almost nervous. "Did he not want to go, or…?"

Chat Noir looked at her, shaking his head vehemently. "No way—" he blurted out suddenly, before pausing. He took a deep breath, then continued, "he, uh, told me that he really wanted to show up. He just couldn't." Chat Noir sighed, almost upset. "It looked like you had fun, though?"

At Marinette's curious glance, the hero continued, stammering. "I may have seen you and your friends at the park earlier."

The girl laughed. "Ah, yeah, that was pretty fun." She smiled. "I haven't played with sparklers in a _long_ time."

"Really?" Chat Noir hummed. "What made you want to do it today, then?"

Marinette suddenly looked away, almost embarrassed. "You'll laugh."

"… Why?"

"Because it's embarrassing."

Chat Noir only found himself growing more curious. "Okay, now you _have_ to tell me, _purr_ incess."

Huffing at the nickname, Marinette turned back to him, though she refused to look him in the face. "Promise you won't tell anyone?"

The hero nodded, jokingly crossing his heart and putting up his right hand. "I promise."

"It was for Adrien."

At that, Marinette looked at him directly, only to be surprised with his expression: mouth parted in surprise, eyes wide, and cheeks almost… red? _What was that about?_

Abruptly coughing, Chat Noir spoke. "I, uhm, what do you mean?"

She sighed. "I overheard him tell Nino— his best friend, that he'd never used sparklers before," Marinette finally confessed. "His dad never allowed him because it was a safety hazard or something like that." She looked down, embarrassed. "I thought it'd be nice if he got to experience it."

With her embarrassment, Marinette failed to notice the face of her partner, eyes brimming with a whirlpool of emotions: shock, surprise, and overflowing gratefulness.

Instead, when she finally faced him, he only looked at her with something she could only describe as… soft?

She wasn't that great with words.

But his expression made her heart skip a beat in a way that it only did whenever she was around Adrien.

_That's a first._

After what seemed like an eternity, he finally spoke. "That's really sweet of you, Marinette."

She smiled. "Thanks, Chat."

After a moment of hesitation— _what was he hesitating for?_ — the hero sighed. "I've never… used sparklers either."

"Really?"

He shrugged. "Like I told you, Adrien and I have a lot in common." Chat Noir looked down. "Not-so-great relationships with parents, included."

Marinette felt sympathetic, seeing his upset face, before suddenly brightening up.

" _Well_ , I still have a sparkler left over. It was meant for Adrien, but…" she paused, "… I don't think he'd mind."

Chat Noir only looked at her in surprise. "No, Marinette, you don't have to—"

"I know." She smiled at him. "I want to."

.

.

That night, in the sleeping darkness of Marinette's street, something was lit:

Whether it was the sparkler or their feelings for one another, however…

Was something they decided to keep to themselves.

**.**

**.**

**.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> was this a fire hazard? probably. did they mind? no, because flirting is >>>> possible danger, really. also yes this ending was super corny but marinette and adrien are both dorks so im convinced that this isn’t completely off-brand for them. :>
> 
> also i have no idea if they actually allow sparklers in france or if they’re strict about permits,, but let’s just pretend they had those fixed earlier on. i’m also not sure if these are a universal experience? for me, at least, i can’t imagine having had my childhood without regularly being burned by them. (ah, fun times!)
> 
> _thank you for reading! ( ´ ∀ `)ノ～ ♡_


	22. 22 - kiss

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Of everything in the Dupain-Cheng bakery, Marinette, Chat Noir decides, is the sweetest.
> 
>  **my tellonym:** milkisande

**.**

**kiss**

_but sweet kisses,  
i've got to spare._

**.**

**.**

**.**

" **KISS me."**

The statement— well, more of a _command_ , really— took Chat Noir by surprise, as Marinette simply waited for him; eyes closed, almost expectant. Her mouth was slightly parted, and the hero found himself gulping at the sight.

He coughed, nervous, almost choking as the candy went down his throat..

"Chat?" She asked, after a silent beat. "Well? _I'm waiting_."

He still couldn't believe his ears.

How he'd gotten himself into this situation, the hero had no idea.

.

.

It started off innocently enough.

It was Valentine's Day, and as per usual, Marinette had come into the classroom with a new batch of sweets to make for all of her classmates.

That day, she made everyone _candy hearts_ — wrapped in a cute container, Marinette ensured that everyone was able to get one (even Chloé, to his surprise: something that he appreciated, thankful that she decided not to leave anyone out, despite their poor history).

In simple words, however, they were delicious.

Adrien had actually never tried candy hearts before— not a lot of candy, really (his dad had him on a strict diet, and was convinced that sweets would only ruin his teeth as well as his figure), so he was always excited when his classmate brought along some snacks for sharing.

Her candy hearts were probably his favorite out of everything she'd made so far.

They weren't only sweet, but brought a warm and fluttering feeling in his stomach— something that even the most expensive store-bought candies couldn't give him.

There was just something about Marinette's baking… it was _different_.

It was special.

Nothing could even come close.

So he was justly horrified to find out that he'd gone through the whole bag before first period even ended.

Adrien tried asking around for more, but none of his classmates wanted to share— _understandable_ , given that everyone was just as obsessed with their classmate's treats.

Marinette was also apologetic when he asked if she had some left over (surprisingly with little to no stuttering), stating that she only had one bag left— and it was being saved for someone else; someone _special_ to her.

He was only all too surprised— and in reality, ecstatic— when he find out who it was being saved for:

For him.

Or, more accurately, for _Chat Noir_.

He showed up on her balcony that night hoping she still had some extra pieces, before she gave him a whole bag, labeled with the name _'Chat'_ , next to the cutest doodle of a black cat.

It was adorable.

She was adorable, really.

After a sincere thank you, the conversation derailed into the playful and teasing (as it always did, whenever they were together).

And he wasn't quite sure how, but at some point, they had ended up with some sort of challenge in her room: which led to the exact situation that they were in.

.

.

Taking a nervous breath, Chat Noir finally nodded to himself, lips puckered, as he pressed his lips to hers…

Only for Marinette to suddenly open her eyes, and with a surprised _"woah!"_ , push him off her and send him toppling off the edge of the bed.

" _What are you doing!?"_ Marinette finally shrieked, as she leaned over the bed to point an accusatory finger at his direction.

"What do you mean!?" Chat Noir asked, nursing his head from the sudden fall. He pointed back at her. "You told me to kiss you!"

"What? When did I—"

" _You just did!_ You said 'kiss me', so I—"

Marinette threw a pillow in his direction, the color of a tomato. "I was just guessing what the candy heart said!" She shouted back. "I thought we were playing?!"

"What!? What game, I—!?"

Oh.

_Oh._

_**Oh, crap.** _

As a look of understanding passed the hero's face, Marinette took it as another opportunity to throw a pillow his way. _"Why are you like this?!"_ She shouted at him, not even attempting to hide her embarrassment.

Putting his arms defensively in front of his face, Chat Noir shouted back. "I zoned out!"

" _What do you mean zoned out that isn't a valid excuse for taking my first kiss I'm going to—"_

"Ma—"

" _If I read the 'date me' candy heart would you have gone out with me I mean, Chat, why are you so_ —"

"Mari—"

" _Just because you're cute and funny and my definite type doesn't mean you can just kiss whoever you want, you absolute_ —"

" _ **MARINETTE, I'm sorry!**_ I just thought the girl I liked asked me to kiss her— tell me _you_ wouldn't take that chance if it was given to you!"

A sudden pause, as realization dawned on both of their faces.

"You… _like_ me?"

A low mutter. "Do you really think I would kiss you if I didn't?"

A thoughtful hum, then full-blown laughter.

Chat Noir put his arms down, to see Marinette doubling over in a fit of giggles. He felt himself warm, sure that he was as red, if not more, than she was only a few minutes prior. _"What are you laughing for!?"_

She smiled.

"You're adorable." She only stated, before fishing out another candy heart, putting it at eye's level.

_Kiss me._

And once he read it out loud, the girl didn't take another second before pressing her lips to his.

Marinette kissed him.

 _And he hadn't tasted anything sweeter in his life_.

**.**

**.**

**.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm obsessed with candy hearts they're actually delicious and i always make it a point to buy myself some every valentine's day (self-love is the best love amirite,, hasdhsjv). anyway, clarifications in the fic bc im a terrible writer! > they were playing a game where marinette would guess what the candy hearts said by putting it into her mouth -- if yall have watched community it was inspired by the candy hearts end scene between troy and abed! (but make it lovers)
> 
> marinette n chat noir have also been hanging out for A While, and she started having feelings for him instead of for adrien (well,, nothing rlly changed if u guys wanna b technical about it lmao). so yes feelings r mutual they're just dorks. cute dorks, but dorks nonetheless.
> 
> _thank you for reading! ( ´ ∀ `)ノ～ ♡_


	23. 23 - blush

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chat Noir was much prettier than usual.
> 
>  **my tellonym:** milkisande

**.**

**blush**

_make a night, i'm flush;  
you're cute when you blush._

**.**

**.**

**.**

" **ARE you wearing** _ **blush**_ **?"**

Marinette's tone was first surprised (but more so _entertained_ , if anything else), as she examined the all-too-familiar rose color dusted on his cheeks.

 _And this was from the newest line, too_.

Chat Noir immediately looked up— looked anywhere that wasn't at her, really, evidently embarrassed. " _What?_ " He asked, voice notably a notch higher than usual. " _No way,_ you're imagining things."

Marinette's lips tilted upward, as she simply shook her head. "There's no way I'm mistaken," she replied. "I've been waiting to get my hands on this for _months_ now. And it looks exactly the same on you as it does on the model."

"I never took you for a makeup person."

The girl shrugged. "I'm not, really," she stated. "Maybe just some lip gloss sometimes, but nothing major. This collection was special."

She looked out onto the balcony, and exhaled dreamily. "It's _his_ line."

Chat Noir could tell where this was going, feeling a smile creep on his face, but decided to ask anyway. "Whose?"

Marinette looked at him in disbelief. "You're wearing makeup from his collection and you have _no idea_ where you got it from!?" She pouted. "That's not fair, there are others who deserve it more than you do."

He smirked. "Really? Like _you_?"

Marinette only glared at him, audibly _hmph_ ing, before she turned away. "Yep!" She only stated, before continuing on, pointing at his face. "That's from the Agreste makeup line!"

Chat Noir decided to play coy.

"Agreste line? _What's that?_ "

"You're _so_ uncultured, kitty," she said, rolling her eyes. "You should have heard of Gabriel Agreste, at least? Fashion magnate?" The hero shook his head. "Well, he's at the _top_ of the fashion industry, and they just decided to branch out to makeup and cosmetics."

Marinette smiled, hearts practically taking shape in her stare. "And he decided to dedicate his first makeup line to his son," she was practically salivating at that point, " _Adrien Agreste."_

Chat Noir bit back laughter. "So you're a fan of that kid, huh?"

She glared. "He's not just _that kid_ , kitty. He's amazing and perfect and a _total_ dream," Marinette sighed. "And he's a thousand times cooler than you are."

The hero snickered. " _Sure, he is._ "

Ignoring Chat's reply, Marinette only looked back at him, a doubting expression on her face. "The question should be how you _got_ a sample of his collection," she pointed out, eyebrows knitting together. "The makeup line isn't releasing until next month."

"Oh," Chat Noir began, almost stumbling on his words. "I— uh— I don't know, we got an early set…?" At her suspicious glance, he stammered. "It got sent to my family. For publicity reasons."

Marinette stared— almost burning, before she nodded and turned back, an amused smile on her face. "I can't believe the kitty's in the makeup business."

He rolled his eyes. "Don't remind me."

Then, she looked back, a playful grin on her face. "But that doesn't explain why you have it on, though?"

He turned red, which only served to accentuate the makeup on his cheeks. "What?" He asked, defensive. "Anything wrong with a boy wearing makeup?"

Marinette shook her head, biting back laughter. "Nope," she responded, popping the 'p' for emphasis. "In fact, I like the look on you. It makes you look cuter."

Chat Noir grinned. "You think I'm cute, _purr_ incess?"

She dismissively waved her hand. "Don't let it get to your head, kitty," Marinette pointed out. "My heart belongs to someone else."

"Ah, yes," he responded, a teasing grin still on his face. "The model. Couldn't you be a little more original than to like the boy all of Paris is in love with?"

"I don't just like him because he's a model, though!" Marinette protested, pointing an accusatory jab at him. "He's a lot more than that."

Chat Noir looked at her curiously. "What do you mean?"

Marinette sighed. "He's a good person," she began. "You know, I didn't like him at first, thinking he'd be _exactly_ like Chloe— some brat in my class, but he proved to be different. He's always so nice and kind to people, even to those who don't deserve it." Her mind flashed back to the times she'd gotten angry at Chloe and Lila for their almost _villainous_ attitudes. "I admire that about him so much. He pushes me to be good; to be better than myself. I honestly can't believe that he's real sometimes."

She paused, a soft smile forming on her face. "I love him."

When she turned forward, Marinette was understandably surprised to see her superhero partner, looking like he was overheating from the shade of scarlet his face was sporting.

_What was he so embarrassed for?_

"Did you put on another layer of blush while I wasn't looking?" Marinette joked, only for the hero to remain quiet.

The girl looked closer. "Why are you blushing so much?"

He mumbled, intelligible.

" _What?"_

"I think I have a crush on you."

" _ **What!?"**_

Marinette felt her face explode in shock.

Though the side comment, " _who looks like they're wearing blush now?"_ was, quite annoyingly, not lost on her.

**.**

**.**

**.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> //cries i finally finished mc may!! all that's left to upload n polish the last fics but otherwise theyre done!<3 i was kinda in rush to finish bc i'll be busy this week so ;n; hope you'll still enjoy the rest of the fics tho !
> 
> adrien was modelling for a photoshoot to promote the cosmetics line, hence why he was wearing makeup! (tho he realized soon that he kinda killed it + with mari's encouragement he ended up wearing it daily). when they start dating, adrien also realizes that mari's more intimate & touchy when he's wearing it, so that's extra incentive lmao . as always:
> 
> _thank you for reading! ( ´ ∀ `)ノ～ ♡_


	24. 24 - confession

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Marinette confessing to Chat Noir: well, yes, but also, no.
> 
>  **my tellonym:** milkisande

**.**

**confession**

_scared to confess what I'm feeling,  
frightened you'll slip away._

**.**

**.**

**.**

" **I'LL** **help you."**

Marinette could only look on in disbelief. "You'll _help_ me…?" She echoed, confusion evident in her tone. "Help me _how_?"

"You can confess to me instead!" Chat Noir smiled back at her, almost blinding. "Consider me your training partner, at least for the meantime."

She remained silent.

This was absolutely _nothing_ like how she'd expected things to go.

Frankly, what Marinette expected was to confess to her superhero partner, share a kiss, start dating, and fall in love with each other more and more as the days passed by.

What she _did not_ expect, however, was to confess to him, and to _immediately_ take it back as the words came out of her mouth.

"Just kidding!" Marinette recalled herself saying, only a few minutes ago. "I bet you thought it was real, huh?"

She could practically see Tikki face-palming as she backtracked.

Chat Noir only looked at her then, an unreadable look on his face, before he smiled. "Oh, good, you scared me there!"

_She scared him._

Marinette couldn't help but flinch at his response, feeling grateful that she hadn't gone through with her decision completely.

Instead, she smiled back.

And an awkward silence encompassed the balcony.

"So..." Chat Noir began, an awkward lilt to his voice. "Who's the lucky guy?"

"Hm?"

He struggled to find the words to say. "The one you're confessing to?" He asked. "The real one," he laughed, though it didn't quite reach his eyes.

"It's a secret!" She stated, nervously looking away.

Then, she sighed. "It's not like I'll ever be able to tell him anyway." Marinette looked at him, a meaningful glance in her eyes. "I'm no good at confessing."

Chat Noir smiled. "I know," he laughed softly, seeing her almost _insulted_ expression. "I could barely understand what you meant to say because you were stuttering so much."

She swatted at him, _hmph_ ing. "I'm trying my best!"

"It's okay, you're cute anyway."

He said it so quietly, but his confession didn't stay unheard.

Marinette paused, then shook her head. _He was probably teasing again_.

She playfully punched him. "Thanks."

Another bout of silence.

Until Chat Noir finally spoke. "You know…" he started, "I can help you out."

His offer still seemed unreal to her now.

She blinked.

Once,

Twice,

Thrice.

 _Nope_ , this wasn't a dream. This was definitely real.

Marinette only stared. "You want me to _practice_ with you?"

"Yup!" The hero replied, pointedly ignoring her doubtful look. "Look, you need to work on your confessions." A slap at his chest. "And I'm free! I can give you advice on how to improve!"

"So… you're okay with me confessing to you?"

"Sure! I mean, it's all for pretend, _right_?"

They looked at each other, only a few meters apart, but never feeling more far away and out-of-sync with each other.

" _Right."_ Marinette finally responded, before frowning.

"What's in it for you, though?"

Chat Noir only smiled. It was soft, fond, almost _loving_.

She pushed the thought away.

"Let's just say that I'm not exactly losing anything with this deal."

.

.

And that's how it went, for a few weeks.

Chat Noir would always stop by her balcony, and give Marinette tips on how to confess.

_Speak more clearly. Be more honest. Look me directly in the eye. "I love you."_

She couldn't put into words how mentally exhausting it was, to confess to your crush, _over and over and over again_ , only for him to never take her seriously.

Granted, this was her fault: but really, _how dense could he be to buy into the excuse of practicing confessions?_

Marinette sighed.

She was getting too comfortable with this.

With them.

Maybe they were getting too carried away, but Marinette felt like they actually _were_ dating.

With all the confessions, they had fallen into a rhythm that was much too familiar with each other to just be friends; they were much more touchy— holding hands, lying on each other's chests, playing with each other's hair; and they were _always_ pressed together, always with some form of skin ship ensuring that they were never too far apart.

It was too close, she knew it.

But it was _too damned good_ to stop.

They were in her bedroom, and Marinette lay on his lap, his gloved fingers gently combing through her hair.

She was surprised to know how warm they felt.

They were lovers in every sense of the word— save for the fact that they didn't label themselves in that way.

Marinette hummed, closing her eyes as he continued to stroke her head.

Chat Noir had been going on about points for im _purr_ ovement (as he so liked to put it), and she found his voice to be a calming lullaby.

"Feeling sleepy, milady?" He finally asked. "Do you want me to leave?"

Marinette immediately shook her head, nuzzling closer to him. "No, stay here please." She whispered. " _With me?_ "

He nodded wordlessly, hands still gently holding her.

A comfortable silence encompassed them.

Then:

"So, when are you confessing?"

Marinette's eyes fluttered open, dejection threatening to creep into her expression. She swallowed the feeling down. "Soon, probably." She said, almost too low for him to actually hear it. "Do you think I'm ready to confess?"

The unspoken question lay in the air.

Neither of them dared ask it.

Instead, Chat Noir looked at her, piercing green eyes meeting her own blue ones. "I think…" he started, "you're still not ready."

She looked up at him. "Really?" Marinette asked, desperately pushing the feeling that threatened to creep up her skin. _Hope._ "You've been having less comments though."

"You're still not ready." He only repeated, turning away, in time for Marinette to fail to see the red dusting his cheeks. "You could still improve." An unreadable look on his face. "You're still not brave enough."

She swallowed.

_Not brave enough?_

Marinette looked up at him.

Chat Noir.

It was just three words; three words and eight letters that she'd been saying constantly for the past month— that she'd been saying to _him_ constantly for the past month.

This shouldn't be too hard.

"I love you."

Marinette whispered, her voice barely reaching the corners of the room.

Chat Noir only looked at her, that same unreadable expression on his face. "That's better, but—"

He paused at her gaze as she sat up, facing him directly.

She took his hands in hers.

"No," Marinette began, shaking her head. "No more tips."

She looked down at their hands, lip quivering.

Then, with renewed determination:

" _I love you, Chat Noir."_

There was only a split second before she was pulled forward in an embrace, his lips capturing hers.

He smiled, eyes twinkling, as they let go. "I still have some comments, but—"

" _ **Chat, I swear**_ **…** _ **"**_

**.**

**.**

**.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if any of you are vocaloid fans it was based on “confession rehearsal” from honeyworks, which is basically about this girl who confesses to her crush, but immediately takes it back— and they end up in this weird relationship where she ‘practices’ confessing to him, until she finds the heart to say it honestly. (it’s actually rlly cute this fic didn’t do the concept justice:<)
> 
> anyway, i didn’t really like how this ended up, but o well. i’m also starting to realize that my blushy / flustered chat fics also get the most attention and i hear y’all . mayb working on a new fic with that who knows :D anyways,
> 
> _thank you for reading! ( ´ ∀ `)ノ～ ♡_


	25. 25 - blep

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chat Noir needs to focus, but Marinette can’t stop laughing.
> 
>  **my tellonym:** milkisande

**.**

**blep**

_and i guess he was cute,  
and i guess he was sweet._

**.**

**.**

**.**

**MARINETTE'S been laughing a lot.**

Chat Noir looked up at her, confused to see that she'd been staring at him the whole time.

_Was she laughing at him?_

Catching his gaze, Marinette immediately looked away, biting her lip as she tried (read: _failed_ ) to keep in her giggles.

"What are you laughing at?" Chat Noir finally asked, pointing the whisk he'd been holding at her. He pouted. "Tell me what's so funny."

She shook her head, smiling.

Then in a sing-song voice, _"nothing~!"_ Marinette simply went back to mixing her bowl, the ever-present grin still on her face. "Just get back to working on that." A snicker. "Remember to _focus_."

Huffing at her vague response, Chat Noir returned to work, putting down his bowl, as he grabbed another egg from its case.

From all the things he'd planned on doing that weekend, Chat Noir didn't expect one of them to be baking macarons with his long-time crush and civilian best friend, Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

Not that he really minded, at the beginning.

Her parents were gone for the week, and his dad was (thankfully) away on a business trip, so the hero was somewhat free to do whatever he wanted.

But halfway through their baking together, Marinette started _laughing_.

It was cute, at first; he _loved_ hearing and seeing her laugh— it was one of his favorite expressions on her (#1 would arguably be the sheer ferocity in her eyes when she was faced with injustice; there was just something so _heroic_ about it— something that brought with him a wave of strange familiarity), but her laughter, at some point…

It was starting to drive him insane.

She would laugh out of nowhere, almost always when he was focused on some task, effectively snapping him out of the 'zone', where he would often catch her eyes on him.

Chat Noir was starting to feel self-conscious (He'd gone on multiple bathroom trips, and there was nothing on his face! The hero couldn't understand her _at all._ )

He sighed, deciding to go back to the task at hand.

Narrowing his eyes, he carefully broke the egg—

Only for Marinette to burst into a fit of giggles.

Chat Noir couldn't take it anymore.

Putting down the baking utensils, he walked over to her, as she was gasping for air.

"Tell me what you're laughing at!" He demanded, only for the girl to shake her head.

"It's nothing, it's—," she giggled, attempting to swat the hero away as he grabbed her hand and leaned over her, as she found herself backed to a counter. The bowl of filling she'd been holding served as the only space between them.

Surprised, Marinette looked up at him, that bright smile still on her face.

_Cute._

"What are you doing, kitty?" She whispered, her voice effectively making his heart skip a beat.

He looked at her, still in shock with the fact that Marinette hadn't pushed him away.

He bit his lip.

"What do you want me to do, _purr_ incess?"

Chat Noir's voice was low, and from their proximity, he could feel the girl shiver.

He reveled in that feeling.

She looked up at him, eyes swimming with something that was too dangerous for either of them to name.

He gulped.

" _I think you know the answer to that."_

Chat Noir studied her, almost intensely. Did she mean what he thought she did? What he _wanted_ her to think?

He stared at her lips.

They looked soft.

They looked sweet.

They looked absolutely _purr_ fect.

And he began to lean over, before he found them curving into a grin, when suddenly…

Another full-on bout of laughter.

There were tears on Marinette's eyes at this point as she looked away, leaning over the counter in a desperate attempt to gasp for air.

At this point, Chat Noir was going insane. _"What's so funny!?"_ He finally cried, as Marinette only looked at him in complete entertainment, wiping away her tears with her finger.

She took a deep breath in, then finally, _finally_ , decided to answer.

"It's your _blep_ ," Marinette confessed, eyes still twinkling.

Chat Noir only looked at her in confusion. "My… _what?_ "

"You know that thing cats do?" She asked. "The really cute thing where they suddenly stick their tongues out?"

_Oh yeah._

His eyebrows knitted together. "Sure," he responded. "What about it?"

Marinette grinned, then pointed a finger to his chest. "I think you're more kitty than you realize, Chat," she laughed. "You do it subconsciously."

Chat Noir brushed a finger to the corner of his lip.

"I do it _subconsciously_?" He echoed, confusion etched into his features.

The girl only nodded. "Yup!" She responded. "It happens when you get really focused, your tongue just peeps out and… _**blep**_ _!_ "

Marinette laughed at the hero's blank expression.

Had he been doing that _all this time_?

Realization dawned on him as he stared at her. "So that's why you've been laughing?" He asked. "Because of my blep?"

"Yeah! I think it's adorable that you act like a cat sometimes, without being fully aware of it."

"And I was doing it earlier, when we were about to…"

Chat Noir immediately paused, turning red, as the girl only looked at him in entertainment.

"Yes," she responded, a coy smile on her face. "You seemed to be really focused on my lips."

He looked up, down, anywhere that wasn't _right at her_. "Well," he mumbled. "Your lips look really good."

"I'm sure they taste just as good too." She responded, the smile still on her face as she dipped her finger into the bowl, putting it into her mouth. "I've been tasting the filling to make sure it's _purr_ fect, after all."

Her tongue darted out to lick a stray piece of filling that was left behind at the corner of her lips.

He gulped.

Was a _blep_ supposed to make him feel this way?

She looked victorious, as his eyes followed the movement of her lips. Marinette looked up at him, almost expectant:

"You can try it, if you'd like."

**.**

**.**

**.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im uploading at like 11pm bc this is my only free time now :DD gonna go straight to bed after this bc i’m also on the verge of passing out irl life is hard sometimes . but writing fics and knowing people actually enjoy what i write makes things worth it :”)
> 
> on other news, i started working on a new fic ! have a vague idea of where it’s going, and have some stuff written down already, so i’m very excited ! (in line w that i’m jus wondering if anyone would like to beta read them? ^^ gonna b honest i have no idea how betas work but a lot of authors have them and i’d like to try mayb e ,, only reqs r that you’re patient n nice bc like marinette im mia 90% of the time + am an emotional disaster wheee) anyways !
> 
> _thank you for reading! ( ´ ∀ `)ノ～ ♡_


	26. 26 - toe beans

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chat Noir is blasted by a villain, and he becomes much more honest to his namesake than Marinette wants him to be.
> 
>  **my tellonym:** milkisande

**.**

**toe beans**

_i can see it now,  
i'm the cat's meow!_

**.**

**.**

**.**

" **MEOWCH!"**

Marinette only looked on in horror as the hero jumped in front of her, shielding her from the blast— and consequently, taking it for himself.

She only had a moment to meet his eyes before he disappeared into a puff of smoke.

_Well, not quite._

Something else was left behind in its place.

A small, black, kitty, staring right at her.

And if it wasn't for its glowing green eyes, as well as the all-too-familiar black ring comfortably fit into his front paw, she would've thought he was a stray.

But _no_ , this was definitely her partner:

 _Chat Noir_ —

Ironically more true to his namesake than he had been previously.

As another blast was thrown in her direction, Marinette yelped, grabbing the cat as she ducked into a nearby alleyway.

When the akuamtized villain didn't come to follow, she heaved a breath of relief.

The cat remained still in her hands, as if patiently waiting for her to think of a plan.

" _Meow."_

Marinette looked at him in disbelief.

"You can't even talk?! Oh my God, _Chat_ , how am I supposed to capture the akuma without you around to help me; I thought we were being _careful_!"

She put the cat down, pacing, as the cat followed.

"Okay," she muttered to herself. "I can do this." She looked up, as if calculating. "So Animan can turn people into animals now. And he got to my whole team." Marinette looked at Chat Noir, staring up at her with a blank face. "Even _you_."

She bit back the need to scream in frustration.

Marinette wanted to turn into Ladybug and fight, but Animan's powers didn't only affect people, it seemed: _kwamis, too_.

Before she had gotten to transform, a wayward blast had hit Tikki, and…

Marinette took a peek into her bag, where the ladybug was curled up, sleeping soundly inside.

This was, suffice to say:

_**Not good.** _

As if sensing her distress, Chat Noir cuddled up to her leg, offering an almost sympathetic _purr_.

She kneeled down, then pet the cat.

 _He was actually pretty cute, like this_.

Marinette laughed to herself as the cat nuzzled its head into her hand.

"I think I prefer you like this, kitty." She teased, lifting up one of the cat's paws, only to see the toe beans that replaced the hero's black boots.

Her eyes sparkled.

"These are _so cute_!" She squealed, scooping up the cat to admire his tiny paws. "Chat," she began. "I think I just fell in love with you all over again."

The cat almost looked like it was _blushing_.

Then, a sudden shout nearby.

" _You can't hide_ _ **fur**_ _ever, Chat Noir and Ladybug!"_

She smirked. "Seems like someone else is stealing your bit, huh?"

Marinette sighed, before standing up, Chat Noir still in her hands.

"What are we going to do now, kitty?" She asked, only for the cat to shrug.

"I think the akuma's in his bracelet again," Marinette stated. "Like before, remember?"

Chat Noir purred in agreement.

"If only we could get close…" she muttered. "But anyone who comes close to him is turned into an animal. There's no way I could avoid those blasts, _especially_ without Ladybug." She frowned, touching her earrings. "I'm sure if we destroyed his bracelet, Tikki would turn back. It's just a question of _how_ …"

Her thoughts were interrupted as the cat indignantly started pawing at her, almost as if he were trying to say something.

" _Meow! Meow! Meow!"_

"Chat, you know that I can't understand you, right?"

Almost frustrated, the cat shoved his paw at her face.

"I _know_ your toe beans are adorable, but that isn't helping right now!"

The black cat shook its head, then mimicked an exploding gesture with its front paws.

" _MEOWW meow meow meow!"_

Marinette wasn't sure how she could decode his purrs, but found herself understanding what he meant.

Her eyes lit up as his actions started to make sense. She looked down at Chat Noir.

"Are you sure it'll work?" Marinette asked. "We can't be sure whether or not your miraculous still works when you're transformed like that."

The cat only purred, as if to say, _"we at least have to try."_

She frowned, then nodded, signing off on their plan.

"Well, you're a cat already— so I guess he can't do anything worse."

Marinette let Chat Noir down, then placed a kiss on the cat's forehead. "I'll be right behind you, kitty."

As he ran off toward the villain, she sighed.

She couldn't quite believe that she was putting the fate of Paris in Chat Noir's hands— well, _paws_ , really.

Those toe beans of his were all that stood between Hawkmoth and his victory.

.

.

Chat Noir was running.

On all four of his legs.

He was surprised to find that he was a lot faster— _maybe he should start running on all fours after this?_

( _Sure_ , as if Ladybug would ever stop teasing him if he did.)

Instead, the cat easily dodged under the flipped-over cars and, easily blending in with the rest of his animal army, suddenly jumped at the unsuspecting zookeeper.

_He sure as hell hoped that this would work._

" **Cataclysm!"**

(Though it more accurately came off as, _'meowmeowmeowmeow!'_ )

And to his complete joy, his paw glowed green, destructive energy overflowing as he aimed his claws at Animan's bracelet, feeling it break apart…

As he consequently transformed, landing back to the ground—

On his two feet.

Chat Noir grinned. "How I've _meow_ sed this body," he sighed dreamily, hugging himself, as a familiar red-suited heroine showed up next to him.

"You were cuter back then." Ladybug looked longingly down at his feet, upset. "No more toe beans."

He pouted. "Is that any way to treat your boyfriend?"

She only rolled her eyes.

"Sorry, maybe I wanted a pet more than I wanted a boyfriend?"

And ignoring his less-than-impressed expression, she only laughed, before throwing up her yo-yo:

" _Miraculous Ladybug!"_

**.**

**.**

**.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i forgot ,, to let her use her lucky charm ,,,, jus pretend she used it before tikki was blasted, and she turned back into marinette bc they ran out of time. ;n; i’ll probably go back to editing this after the month is over hsjdasjv no time to rewrite it completely for now D:
> 
> also found a beta yeet she also gave some amazing ideas which im very excited to write so,, look forward to that if you’d like !! :> (+++ if you can’t tell i was running out of ideas at this point and basically grasping at straws ,,, id like to apologize lmao)
> 
> _thank you for reading! ( ´ ∀ `)ノ～ ♡_


	27. 27 - kitten noir

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Manon is a Chat Noir fan. A Ladybug fan, not so much.
> 
>  **my tellonym:** milkisande

**.**

**kitten noir**

_you happened, and,  
turned my life around entirely._

**.**

**.**

**.**

" **MY name is Kitten Noir!"**

Manon jumped off Marinette's bed after her declaration, running around in the costume that the older girl had designed for her: a puffy black dress with green accents, accompanied by the hero's token cat ears, black mask, and golden bell.

She laughed to herself as Manon pretended to use cataclysm, throwing the pillows around her room.

Marinette had made the costume for her for Heroes' Day— apparently, Manon's school was having a 'dress-up event' after their personal heroes, and she wanted to dress up as Chat Noir.

(Marinette wasn't jealous that she didn't choose Ladybug— _no, sir, not at all._ )

(Even if Ladybug was much, much, cooler than he was.)

She sighed, suddenly surprised as Manon tugged at her shirt. "Play with me!" She demanded.

Marinette laughed, then nodded. "Sure, I'll be Ladybug, and we'll save Paris together!"

"Yeah!" Manon grinned, pointing at her. "You can be my sidekick!"

_Sidekick?_

"Ladybug isn't Chat Noir's sidekick, Manon," she pointed out, kneeling down to her level. "They're partners— they work together!"

Manon shook her head. "No, Ladybug is so _boring_. Chat Noir is way, way, more amazing than she is!"

_Boring!?_

"I thought you _liked_ Ladybug, what happened?"

"She's so bossy," Manon only responded, wrinkling her nose. "Mama showed me videos of them saving Paris, and all she does is tell Chat Noir what to do. She's so annoying!"

Marinette bit back the need to fight someone much, much, younger than she was.

"That's because Ladybug's responsible! She thinks of plans with her Lucky Charm to save everyone!"

Manon stuck out her tongue. "She's like an old lady! I bet she's mama's age," the girl argued. "Chat Noir is _way_ more fun!"

Marinette inhaled, a deep breath.

Manon was just a child. She still didn't understand responsibility and the need to be serious. She—

"And Ladybug keeps hurting Chat Noir's feelings!"

_What._

Marinette looked at the younger girl in surprise. "What do you mean, Manon?"

"Chat Noir loves Ladybug, and she keeps rejecting him!" Manon pouted. "She's a bad hero!"

Marinette felt herself calm down, and smiled. "So that's why you don't like Ladybug anymore?"

Manon looked down and nodded. "She's so mean to someone who likes her." The girl looked up at her, visibly upset. "You're close friends with Ladybug, right? Why doesn't she love him back?"

Marinette suppressed a giggle.

Well, that wasn't quite true, in the first place.

Instead, Marinette leaned over to Manon. "You want to hear a secret?" She asked, before whispering in the child's ear. "Ladybug and Chat Noir are actually dating!"

Manon immediately backed away, eyes wide with surprise. "Really?" She responded, almost giddy. "Is it _really_ true, Marinette?"

Marinette nodded. "Yup!" She smiled. "They're just keeping it a secret because Ladybug's shy."

"Why is Ladybug so shy?" Manon asked, disbelieving. "She's the luckiest ever to be with Chat Noir! If it were me, I'd _never ever_ keep him a secret!"

_Why did she keep him a secret?_

Marinette laughed. "You have a point there," she confessed. "I'll tell Ladybug what you said, and maybe she'll think about it!"

Manon nodded, completely serious. "You do that! Then I'll like her again!"

The teenager bit back the need to laugh. _Kids were so simple._

She looked at Manon. _And absolutely adorable._

The sudden knock interrupted the two of them, as Manon's mother popped into the room. "Hi Marinette, I'm here to take back Manon," she stated. "I got off work early."

"Sure, Ms. Chamack! She's all set to leave, aren't you Manon?"

Manon was all too happy when she nodded, taking her backpack from the floor as she walked over to her mom. "Yup! You know, Marinette told me something really interesting, mama! It's—"

She looked back, only to see Marinette press a finger to her lips, in a _'quiet'_ gesture.

Manon paused, grabbing her mom's hand.

"What did she tell you, Manon?"

Instead, she grinned. "It's a secret!" She finally shared, as Marinette giggled. "But it's a _big_ scoop, mama! I bet even you don't know about it!"

"Really now?" Ms. Chamack asked, raising a questioning eyebrow at Marinette, who only shrugged, a smile on her face. "Well, you're very good for keeping Marinette's secret, Manon. I'm proud of you."

"Chat Noir and Ladybug would be proud, too," Marinette pointed out, resulting in the toddler's bright smile.

"Yay!" She squealed, quickly running over to Marinette to give her a surprise hug, before leaving. "Thanks, Marinette!"

"Yes," Ms. Chamack echoed. "Thanks for taking care of Manon, today."

"It's no problem!" Marinette only called back, as the two disappeared out of her room.

As soon as they left, however, a new visitor made itself known— this time entering through the balcony.

Against herself, Marinette found herself grinning.

"So I have a new fan, huh?" He hummed, walking over to her.

"She calls herself Kitten Noir," Marinette only responded. "It's pretty cute, actually. Maybe cuter than the actual thing?"

"Now that's a little too mean, isn't it _purr_ incess?" Chat Noir pointed out, as he stood directly in front of her. "I'm pretty sure Ladybug would disagree."

She looked up at him, eyes dancing with entertainment."Really?" She asked. "Ladybug told me differently, though?"

Chat Noir smirked as she played clueless. "Yeah," he replied. "I heard she told you that the two of us were dating."

The hero continued, looping one of his hands in hers. "I thought we were keeping this _secret_ , milady?"

Marinette hummed. "Well, you have to thank your sidekick," she responded. "She may have brought up a few good points."

"Like what?"

"That anyone dating Chat Noir would be lucky."

"And…?"

The unmasked heroine smiled. "Maybe she was right."

.

.

The next night, an important announcement was posted on the Ladyblog.

After defeating another akumatized villain, Alya Cesaire ran to get an exclusive interview:

Only to catch the two heroes of Paris share a kiss.

Alya squealed, almost dropping her phone, as she asked for a statement.

Ladybug only had one thing to say:

" _You can thank the little girl out there who calls herself Kitten Noir."_

A wink, then they disappeared.

Nadja Chamack woke up to her daughter screaming at the top of her lungs.

**.**

**.**

**.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it has recently come to my attention that i very likely misunderstood what they meant by kitten noir,, but u know what writer’s creative freedom and interpretation amirite !! anyway: 5 days left before the month, and consequently this challenge, is over !
> 
> when i say this was stressful i MEAN it: but i cant deny that it was fun + that it really helped me get my writing groove back (which was my goal from the beginning)<3 i probably wont do ladrien june anymore, but will probably be posting new stuff instead ! :D anyways:
> 
> _thank you for reading! ( ´ ∀ `)ノ～ ♡_


	28. 28 - lights out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When the lights go out, Marinette and Chat Noir have the first fight of their relationship.
> 
>  **my tellonym:** milkisande

**.**

**lights out**

_we kiss in a shadow,  
we hide from the moon._

**.**

**.**

**.**

" **IT should be candles!"**

" _No, battery-powered lights!"_

"I have a ton of candles here! It's a waste not to use it!"

"It's a _fire hazard,_ Chat! It'd be safer to just use the lights instead!"

Marinette pinched the bridge of her nose, exasperated, as Chat Noir stared back at her, equally annoyed.

It was a terrible idea, really.

The original plan was that they go on another one of their balcony dates— Ladybug would bring the food, and Chat Noir would bring what he called the 'romantic atmosphere' _(which apparently meant rose petals, candles, and a music player that was only filled with Taylor Swift music_ — sometimes the heroine found herself wondering why she'd fallen for him in the first place: given how dorky her boyfriend actually was _)._

But their evening date was cut short when a thunderstorm hit their city, which meant three very important things:

Marinette and Chat Noir were stuck inside her room (he had passed by to pick her up, but leaving stopped being an option as the thunder and rain roared outside);

The power and electricity was out, meaning that they were completely in the dark, with no source of light; and,

They were about to have the first big fight in their relationship, all about the age-old question of: _**battery-powered lights or candles**_ **?**

Chat Noir was on the side of candles.

Marinette was on what she decided was the more reasonable and logical side.

The hero glowered, as he raised up the bag he'd been holding. "Come on, Mari! None of your stuff will get burned, I promise." He crossed his hand over his heart. "Chat's honor."

"None of my stuff will get burned because we're using my lights," Marinette only huffed, as she retrieved the LED from her cabinet and turned it on.

The bright white light it emitted almost blinded them.

Chat Noir hissed— _hissed_ — before immediately grabbing the light from her hands and turning it off. "It's too bright!"

"We can just turn it the other way!" Marinette argued, then pointed at his candles. "At least we only need one; how many candles are we going to need just for one corner of my room?"

The hero pointedly ignored her. "There's no problem— I brought enough candles to light up your entire house!" He grabbed one, then shoved it towards her face.

Marinette was about to protest, only pausing as a sweet aroma filled her senses.

_Vanilla._

She looked up at Chat Noir, confusion evident. "Are those _scented_ candles?"

Chat Noir nodded, victorious. "I wasn't kidding with the romantic atmosphere," he replied, almost teasing. "I wanted our date to be _purr_ fect."

Marinette smiled.

_He could be sweet when he wanted to._

She moved her hand to hold his, pulling him closer.

And as his grip loosened,

Marinette pointedly took the candle then threw it back, the sound echoing as the candle rolled along the floor.

"What are you doing!?" He screeched, only to find her nonchalant expression.

"I made us vanilla cupcakes, chaton." She only retorted. "That's plenty enough for the scent."

Chat Noir growled, stalking away as he heatedly sat down on the floor across her, bearing an almost uncanny resemblance to a toddler who'd just been grounded.

Marinette bit back the need to laugh.

"You know I can't really see you, right?" She finally asked, her lips tilting upward.

"Doesn't matter," he huffed. "Just know I'm mad at you."

She giggled then walked forward, navigating with her fingers and toes.

The sudden _"meowch!"_ as she felt her leg make contact with something hard notified her that she was at the right place.

Carefully, Marinette sat down in front of him, a smile forming as the black cat hero only turned away, audibly _hmph_ ing at the sudden contact.

"C'mon kitty," she cooed. "Don't be mad."

He remained silent, ignoring her.

"I don't want to be the reason you're _feline_ bad."

Marinette felt him perk up at her pun, but it wasn't quite enough.

"I just wanted to see my _boyfriend_ clearly," Marinette finally stated, knowing how much he loved it when she would bring up their relationship. "The candles wouldn't do him any justice."

A small voice: "I'm pretty handsome, aren't I?"

Marinette smiled, fighting back the laugh that threatened to escape her throat. _"The handsomest."_

To her victory, Chat Noir finally turned to face her— though his pout remained.

 _Cute_.

Marinette couldn't help it.

She kissed him.

He startled at first, but melted into her embrace just as quickly.

It was to both their surprise when the lights suddenly flashed back on with the sudden _crash_ of thunder, shocking the two apart.

They stared at each other for a moment, before bursting into laughter.

"Guess we don't need any of the lights, then?" Chat Noir asked, to the girl's amusement.

"Guess not," she replied. "We'll leave that little spat in the dark."

Then, a smirk.

"But I think there's one thing we left behind that I'd like to bring back?"

Chat Noir grinned, not hesitating for a moment, as he pressed his lips to hers.

**.**

**.**

**.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> to note, i wholeheartedly agree with marinette on the battery-powered lights >> candles thing. i honestly thought it was common sense but apparently some people prefer candles ? i could never tbh i have a lot of papers and im too paranoid to let fire anywhere near them. also, it’s unnecessarily hot. lmao
> 
> is it obvious im running out of ideas ? writing this was a very no thoughts head empty moment. been having a lot of those lately hh quarantine’s being a pain when it comes to finding inspiration . but staying home is still important !! flatten the curve !!!
> 
> _thank you for reading! ( ´ ∀ `)ノ～ ♡_


	29. 29 - pajamas

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Marinette has his limited edition pajama set.
> 
>  **my tellonym:** milkisande

**.**

**pajamas**

_you're never fully dressed,  
without a smile!_

**.**

**.**

**.**

**CHAT Noir was in tears.**

He only looked at Marinette, desperately gasping for air as she stared back at him, hands crossed protectively against her chest, clearly unimpressed.

"I— I can't believe," he wheezed, holding onto the balcony railings for support, "you _have_ one of those."

"It's a limited edition!" She protested, defensively gesturing at her clothes. "And I'll have you know that every girl in Paris wants one of these!" Marinette _hmph_ ed. "It's not my fault that you can't appreciate fashion."

" _Sure,"_ the hero only responded, eyes bright as he sported a strangely victorious expression. "Your fashion designs are things worth appreciating, Marinette," he began, before pointing at her pajamas and snickering. " _Those, on the other hand…_ "

She swatted at him, wrapping the jacket tighter around her body, as if it would hide her outfit.

But _nothing_ could hide the comically large and smiling face of Adrien Agreste, with the words _'Radiant. Carefree. Dreamy.'_ placed right below it.

There was noway that she could hide it; his face _demanded_ attention—

Case in point being Chat Noir, who was having a field day with the girl's outfit; which he believed was infinitely made funnier by the fact that the pajamas came in a _set_ :

The pants proudly displaying a pattern of mini decapitated Adrien Agrestes, cutouts of his head decorating the piece of clothing, almost like a thousand mini hims were protectively guarding her legs.

It was both the most unsettling and funniest thing he'd ever seen.

Chat Noir burst into laughter, again, ignoring Marinette's protests that these were somehow _not_ a fashion atrocity.

The hero only knew too well what came into making the pajamas:

They wanted to advertise the Adrienfragrance further, and marketing had come to the conclusion that what they needed were more him _-_ themed merchandise.

He found the whole thing pretty tacky and unnecessary (if not a bit capitalist, really), but decided to let them do as they wanted.

He was sure they wouldn't sell—

Only to be utterly floored by the fact that his pajamas had sold out on the first day; along with the Adrien Agreste stationery, bedding, novelty mugs, and the like (of which he was starting to suspect Marinette also had, hidden somewhere inside her room).

The pajamas were definitely one of the worst things Chat Noir had ever seen.

But seeing them on her, he decided that they could be pretty cute, too.

(That wasn't to say that the mini Adrien Agrestes staring up at him didn't freak the hero the hell out, though.)

After heaving a deep breath, he finally quieted down; though the entertained grin on his face still remained.

"So, you're an Adrien Agreste fangirl, huh?" He asked. "I didn't think you'd be the type to obsess over models."

Marinette glared at him. "I'm not just some fangirl," she argued. "We're friends."

He found a smile begin to form on his face.

_Marinette was his friend._

"Really?" He hummed, teasing. "I have my own friends, and I don't have _them_ -themed pajamas lying around anywhere at home."

She huffed. "I just want to support him! There shouldn't be anything wrong with that!"

Chat Noir laughed, then nodded. "Yeah, there isn't." He finally said. "And you look cute in it, actually. I'm sure Adrien would be happy if he saw you like this."

Marinette blushed, turning away.

"There is **no** way I'm ever letting him see me wearing these." She stared at him, with an almost seriousexpression on her face. "Honestly, Chat. If he ever saw me in these, I would actually _die_."

_Oops._

Chat Noir had never been more grateful for being an anonymous hero.

Suddenly he looked at her, a chaotic grin on his face. "But you know what would look better on you?"

Her reply was cautious. "What?"

"The limited edition Chat Noir pajama set."

She rolled her eyes.

"Like I'd ever wear anything that was inspired by you."

He only smirked, staying quiet as the hero looked at her pajamas again.

_If only she knew._

**.**

**.**

**.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> my unwritten hc for this is that marinette actually already owns the chat noir pajamas (though she’d die before telling him, really), and chat, unsurprisingly, already owns the ladybug pair. when they find out each other’s identities, one of the first things they laugh about is of how much merch they have of each other -- “you got my limited action figure ? even i couldn’t get my hands on these ??”
> 
> also ik i said i wasnt participating in ladrien june but ?? i have just been informed lukadrien june is a thing ??? and im jnfksalmd the likelihood that i’ll cave and subject myself to another month of writing torture is becoming a Very Real Possibility
> 
> _thank you for reading! ( ´ ∀ `)ノ～ ♡_


	30. 30 - purrince

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Even across lifetimes, Marinette will always be Chat Noir's princess.
> 
>  **my tellonym:** milkisande

**.**

**purrince**

… _and fairy tales come true, funny;  
the one small part i never knew._

**.**

**.**

**.**

" **WHAT do you mean they aren't just dreams?"**

Adrien looked at his kwami in confusion, drowsily rubbing his eyes in a weak attempt to dispel the sleepiness that he was still feeling.

The kwami hummed, a rare serious expression on his face. "I think they're your memories, kid."

He shook his head. "Memories?" Adrien echoed, disbelieving. "What do you mean, Plagg? I haven't met any princesses," he paused, then sighed, wistful. "At least, none as beautiful as her."

"Not _your_ memories," Plagg corrected. "Memories of the past Cat Miraculous holders."

Adrien perked up. "You mean, your previous owners? Before me?"

The kwami nodded. "I think so," he began. "Or at least, one of them. Those dreams of yours about that girl… I think I remember her."

"Really?" Adrien leaned towards his kwami, eyes sparkling. "So she's real?"

" _Was_ real," Plagg sighed. "She existed a long time ago. Not anymore."

For a moment, Adrien could see sorrow in his kwami's eyes, though it disappeared so quickly that the teenager thought he'd imagined it. "The question is why you've been dreaming about her. Memories don't get passed on with the miraculous." He looked up at his master. "What triggered it?"

Adrien shrugged, slumping his shoulders. "I'm not sure," he began. "I dropped by Marinette's during patrol, and I just… when she laughed, I saw _someone else_. And after that image, they kept on coming. In daydreams, while I was sleeping— I kept seeing her; laughing, smiling, talking to me." He looked down, then pressed a hand to his heart. "It's weird, that I've never met her, but I feel _something_ whenever she shows up in my dreams. Like she'd been in my heart the whole time."

Plagg hummed, as if in thought. "Marinette, huh?"

His master nodded. "It's strange. They look nothing alike, but I can't shake the feeling of how _similar_ they are. That girl… she just feels so familiar."

"Well, you may not be that off the mark."

"What do you mean?"

Plagg sighed. "Kid, you've heard about reincarnation, right?" He asked, as Adrien nodded. "Well, the people who believe in it aren't really wrong. They were right, actually." The kwami pointed at his owner. "Souls are pretty much recycled, like yours, over lifetimes. And usually, when you've died, everything is wiped away and restarted— save for a few things."

"Like…?"

"Your miraculous, for one," the kwami began, patting his ring. "Some souls are inexplicably tied to us kwamis, like you and me. Miraculous holders often share the same souls, and that's balance." He began, then frowned. "Sometimes, however, the miraculous falls into the wrong hands; the wrong _souls_ , and causes chaos— that's how you get villains like Hawkmoth and Mayura."

"What does that have to do with my dreams?"

"It's not only the miraculous that are connected to souls," Plagg explained. "They can also be connected to other souls; relationships that transcend lifetimes," he explained. "That's where you get the idea of soulmates—" he wrinkled his nose, "though you people made it a lot more romantic than it really is. Soulmates are lifelong bonds, but they can manifest in other ways, like in friendships or family. Sometimes even in rivalries."

"Wait, so you're saying… this princess is my soulmate?" Adrien finally asked, the gears turning in his head.

Plagg nodded. "Yeah," he nodded. "With the miraculous, your connection to the supernatural— and spiritual world is much closer than to others. I guess it makes sense that your memories must have resurfaced the closer you got to your soulmate."

"Spiritual? Soulmate? I—," Adrien struggled to form words. "What do you mean? I've met my soulmate already? Who is it?"

He sighed. "Think about it, kid," Plagg pointed out. "Who makes you remember your past memories?"

Adrien thought back to the girl who had started all this in the first place.

Her smile, which blurred together with the stranger's laugh.

Deep blue pigtailed hair blending in with flowing black curls.

Pink pajamas that mixed with a pale, white, nightgown.

But their stare— exactly the same; warm, bluebell eyes that pierced his own green ones.

Marinette.

" _Marinette's my soulmate?"_

Plagg nodded. "I wasn't supposed to tell you, but…"

"Marinette's my soulmate?" He repeated, still finding the whole idea almost unrealistic.

Then, a smile.

"Marinette's my soulmate!"

"Yes Adrien, but—"

And almost immediately after, doubt. "But… what about Ladybug?" He asked, looking down. "I'm still in love with her."

The kwami looked about ready to strangle him.

"You're telling me you can tell Marinette from her past life but not _this_ connection?!" Plagg asked, exasperated.

Adrien still couldn't quite connect it in his head.

" _ **Marinette is Ladybug.**_ "

The kwami finally burst out, leaving the teenager reeling.

Marinette…

Was _Ladybug_?

The emotions escaped him faster than he could actually process them.

Shock, disbelief, denial, rationalization, realization, joy, understanding, _love_.

Then, panic.

Adrien threw a pillow at his kwami. "Wait, _why did you tell me!?_ " He almost shrieked, pointing at Plagg. "I'm not supposed to know, ohGod, Ladybu— _Marinette's_ going to kill me…"

Plagg sighed. "It's for your own good, kid. It's really on you for not realizing sooner."

The hero only looked at Plagg, confusion evident, before nodding to himself. "Then…" he began, unsure. "What should I do?"

"Go get your princess," his kwami only responded. "Sweep her off her feet, or something. Isn't that what princes do?"

Eyes bright with excitement, Adrien only nodded. "Okay, okay, I just need to get a few things ready. Then I'm transforming and telling her how I feel about her."

Plagg nodded, throwing an encouraging smile his way (something Adrien found surprising, given how out-of-character it was for the kwami to do so). "Live your 'happily ever after' with your _purr_ incess," he called after him:

Then, in a lower and more quiet voice, _"While you still can."_

.

.

That night, Plagg dreamed about his old master.

A rather young man, he smiled at the kwami, as he pressed a teasing finger to his lips in a 'quiet' gesture.

With surprising catlike agility, the miraculous holder climbed up the tree and to one of the castle balconies, where he was greeted by an all-too-familiar girl— _no_ , a young woman, dressed in a nightgown, dark hair flowing in the wind.

She was teasing the man, a smile on her face, a laugh escaping her lips.

_Plagg missed that laugh._

Then she turned to the kwami, offering a piece of cheese she definitely stole from the kitchen.

" _Here, Plagg!"_

His grateful grin.

Then, a sudden bang on the door.

Hiding behind the tree branches.

The girl screaming as another man— the _prince_ , threw her down to the ground.

Fear.

Helplessness.

Boiling anger.

Returning to her room, late into the night, with a proposition:

"Would you like to run away with me?"

His master's outstretched hand as she grabbed it.

Running.

The guards and the prince hot on their trail.

Capture.

Transformation.

Her eyes, in tears.

A scream.

"No matter what anyone says, _you_ will always be my prince."

Then, nothing.

.

.

Back in the present, with almost catlike agility, an anonymous hero showed up to the girl's balcony.

He smiled as her eyes met his.

"Your _purr_ ince has returned."

Confusion, and a flicker of sudden recognition.

His hand outstretched to take hers.

" _ **Would you like to run away with me?"**_

History is doomed to repeat itself.

**.**

**.**

**.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so ,, short backstory this was jus supposed to be based on ‘ai no scenario’ (its a vocaloid song-- yes im unhealthily obsessed with these) and focus on the idea of princes/princesses but i kinda (VERY) got off-topic n too excited,, ending up with the being less on the prompt and more on me yelling about soulmate au havcksjfsd [no regrets tho]. 
> 
> i also feel like it makes no sense but the general idea is that one of chat’s old reincarnations was a boy who fell in love with a princess (ladybug, marinette’s reincarnation), and they ran away together . but it ended badly & in general words they lost her (hence why plagg was so sad when she was mentioned). the last scene is meant to vaguely parallel what happened all those years ago, which plagg is afraid of— because history really might repeat itself again, which means that he’ll not only lose marinette, but his master, too. (purrince prompt rlly found dead in a ditch lmao) ANYWAYS:
> 
> _thank you for reading! ( ´ ∀ `)ノ～ ♡_


	31. 31 - time travel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chat Noir is exactly as Marinette remembers him to be.
> 
>  **my tellonym:** milkisande

**.**

**time travel**

_with a bit of a mind flip,  
you're there in a time slip._

**.**

**.**

**.**

" **ARE you okay, ma'am?"**

Marinette held her head, wincing in apparent pain, as she gratefully took the stranger's outstretched hand to pull herself up.

She blinked, shaking her head. "Where's the akuma?" The heroine asked instead, body stiffening as it automatically slid into an offensive position.

Marinette had been too careless, getting blasted by the villain.

She wasn't quite sure what his power was yet, but found herself dizzy and disoriented as she stood, hands balled up into fists.

_Hands?_

When did she detransform?

_This villain was more dangerous than she thought._

Cautiously, Marinette looked back at who had helped her. "Kid, you need to get out of here, it's too—"

Before realizing who exactly it was she was talking to.

Her partner.

_Chat Noir._

But much… _smaller,_ an impish smile on his face and an undeniable air of immaturity and playfulness about him.

This was Chat Noir, sure, but it wasn't _her_ Chat Noir.

This was the Chat Noir of the Marinette from almost ten years ago.

Younger Chat Noir only grinned as she looked at him in disbelief. "Don't worry, miss, I've got it. Leave it to the su _purr_ heroes to protect Paris," he winked, before jumping forward into battle, leaving him alone.

" _Wait—!"_ Marinette called after him, to no avail.

She sighed, biting back the need to scream.

_He was still as rash as she remembered._

Deciding not to follow, Marinette ducked into an abandoned alleyway, opening her purse.

To her relief, she didn't come alone.

Tikki floated upward, visibly disoriented. "Marinette?" She asked. "What happened? Why did you detransform?"

"I _didn't_ ," the heroine only replied, distressed. "The blast from the villain… it must have messed with our powers somehow."

The kwami nodded. "Yes, I think so." She stated. "Something doesn't quite… _feel_ right," Tikki began, confusingly holding her head. "Like we're out of balance? I don't think we're supposed to be here."

Marinette looked around, careful to ensure that nobody was listening in, before nodding. "I just saw Chat Noir, Tikki."

"Really?" She asked. "Was he blasted too? Let's meet up with them, maybe Plagg has some idea of what's going on."

The adult shook her head. "No," she responded, wincing. "This isn't _our_ Chat Noir," Marinette finally shared, noticing her kwami's confused look. "I think we went back in time."

"What do you mean?"

Marinette frowned, worry creasing her forehead. "I think the hero had powers like Bunnyx and Timetagger," she explained. "I just saw the _younger_ Chat Noir. I don't think he recognized me, luckily, but we have to be careful. I have no idea how this'll affect the original timeline."

Tikki nodded in agreement. "Okay, it's better if we keep a low profile, then." She paused. "I'm sure they're trying to get us back as soon as they can, we just need to wait."

Marinette was about to respond, when a body came crashing into the alleyway.

Tikki immediately hid behind her, as the girl found herself staring down at her partner.

"Chat!" She screamed in horror, immediately jumping to his side. "Are you okay?!"

The hero looked up, an exhausted smile on his face. "Ah, you're the lady from earlier!" He grinned, clearly attempting to hide the discomfort he was feeling. "I feel _purr_ fect, thanks for asking!"

He attempted to stand, but winced as a sharp pain shot through his stomach.

"Where's Ladybug?" Marinette finally asked, concern evident.

Chat Noir lay against the wall, holding his chest, as Marinette hovered over him. "I'm not sure," he finally confessed. "She disappeared around the same time you showed up."

_Oh._

_Well that couldn't be a coincidence._

Marinette sighed as the villain screamed for Chat Noir and Ladybug to show up.

_So much for keeping it low profile._

She smiled at him, then placed a kiss on his forehead— something that made the hero's heart suddenly want to beat out of its ribcage.

"Just stay here, kitty," Marinette finally said, standing up. "I'll take care of the rest."

Ignoring his confused look and weak protests, she opened her purse—

And as the familiar kwami flew out, while the adult spoke the three familiar words the hero already knew by heart, Chat Noir somehow managed to speak:

" _ **Milady?!"**_

**.**

**.**

**.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> /yells ! sorry for the cliffhanger it was getting a little too long for a 30-day challenge entry ;n; let me know if you'd be interested in reading a follow-up tho? i might write one since this is all over lmao ,, and on that note :
> 
> i finally finished marichat may ! :DD wowee there were times i seriously doubted being able to push thru but my stubborn ass did it ! amazin ! <33 this was my first time doing a tumblr challenge, and writing marichat even, so it was a lot of fun ! (even when there were points where i jus wanted to yell at a wall and disappear yk ,,)
> 
> since i feel like im the slightest bit more ~settled~ into this fandom, expect more content from me ! might start posting new stuff tomorrow if i don't chicken out hashfv so check that out if you'd like :>
> 
> (also ik this a/n is already p long but i jus wanna shoutout Maeisthemonth4me, mochegato, BenRG, and Cochrane ! : idk if people do this but u guys commented on a lot of the chapters here and i was vvv happy to see it: tysm for the support, it really means the whole world to me ! ;u; same goes for other readers i didnt get to mention by name but im super super grateful for<3)
> 
> _thank you for reading! ( ´ ∀ `)ノ～ ♡_


End file.
